A History of Short Words

From the New York Times Crossword Puzzle

MESSI

Sun, 18 Feb '24
Record holder for most games played in the FIFA World Cup (26)
Sun, 28 Jan '24
Soccer star who has won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards
Sun, 14 Jan '24
Time's 2023 Athlete of the Year
Mon, 11 Dec '23
Soccer's Lionel ___
Wed, 31 Aug '22
International athlete who twice made Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world
Tue, 21 Sep '21
Professional soccer player with the most goals for a single club (Barcelona)
Sun, 19 Sep '21
Soccer superstar nicknamed "La Pulga" ("The Flea")
Wed, 31 Mar '21
Soccer great with a statue in Buenos Aires