Athletes

All Athletes

1

Adam Peaty

British swimmer who won three Olympic gold medals and set world records in the 50m and 100m breaststroke.

2

Allyson Felix

American sprinter who won 11 Olympic medals, the most by any track and field athlete in Olympic history.

3

Andre Agassi

American tennis player who won eight Grand Slam singles titles and a career Grand Slam, plus Olympic gold in 1996.

4

Andrea Pirlo

Italian deep-lying midfielder who won the 2006 FIFA World Cup and two UEFA Champions League titles with AC Milan.

5

Andres Iniesta

Spanish midfielder who scored the winning goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final and won four Champions League titles with Barcelona.

6

Bill Russell

American basketball center who won 11 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics, the most of any player in league history.

7

Billie Jean King

American tennis player who won 12 Grand Slam singles titles and led advocacy for equal prize money in women's tennis.

8

Bjorn Borg

Swedish tennis player who won 11 Grand Slam singles titles before retiring at age 26 in 1983.

9

Bobby Charlton

English midfielder and 1966 World Cup winner regarded as one of England's greatest footballers and a Manchester United icon.

10

Caeleb Dressel

American swimmer who won seven Olympic gold medals and holds world records in the 100m butterfly and 100m individual medley.

11

Cafu

Brazilian football fullback and only player to appear in three FIFA World Cup finals, captaining Brazil to the 2002 title.

12

Carl Lewis

American track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals across four Games in sprints and the long jump.

13

Chris Evert

American tennis player who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles and reached at least the semifinals of 52 consecutive majors.

14

Conor McGregor

Irish mixed martial artist who became the first UFC fighter to hold championship belts in two weight divisions simultaneously.

15

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portuguese football forward and five-time Ballon d'Or winner known for prolific goalscoring across top European leagues and international football.

16

Dan Marino

American football quarterback who set numerous NFL passing records in the 1980s and 1990s during 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins.

17

David Beckham

English football midfielder known for accurate long passing and free kicks, with league titles in four different countries.

18

Dick Fosbury

American high jumper who won the 1968 Olympic gold and pioneered the back-first jumping technique now used by virtually all elite jumpers.

19

Didier Drogba

Ivorian football striker and Chelsea club legend, known for powerful hold-up play and big-match goals including the decisive 2012 Champions League header.

20

Diego Maradona

Argentine attacking midfielder who captained his country to the 1986 FIFA World Cup and is considered one of the greatest footballers ever.

21

Dwight Howard

American basketball center and three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 2020 NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers.

22

Eliud Kipchoge

Kenyan long-distance runner who won two Olympic marathon gold medals and was the first to run the marathon distance under two hours.

23

Erling Haaland

Norwegian striker known for prolific goalscoring in the Bundesliga and Premier League, including a record-breaking Premier League debut season.

24

Eusebio

Mozambican-born Portuguese forward who won the 1965 Ballon d'Or and finished as top scorer at the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

25

Evander Holyfield

American boxer and four-time world heavyweight champion, the only boxer to win the undisputed heavyweight title four times.

26

Felix Sanchez

Dominican-American track athlete and two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 400m hurdles, the first Dominican Republic Olympic gold medalist.

27

Florence Griffith Joyner

American sprinter who set world records in the 100m and 200m that have stood since the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

28

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

American boxer who finished his career undefeated at 50-0 across five weight classes.

29

Franz Beckenbauer

German defender who won the 1974 FIFA World Cup as captain and the 1990 edition as manager, pioneering the modern attacking sweeper role.

30

Gareth Bale

Welsh football winger known for powerful left-footed strikes and five UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid.

31

Garrincha

Brazilian winger who won two FIFA World Cups and was known for dribbling skill despite a leg deformity from birth.

32

George Best

Northern Irish forward and 1968 Ballon d'Or winner regarded as one of the greatest dribblers in football history.

33

Gianluigi Buffon

Italian goalkeeper and 2006 FIFA World Cup winner widely regarded among the greatest in football history, with a record number of Serie A appearances.

34

Haile Gebrselassie

Ethiopian long-distance runner who won two Olympic gold medals in the 10,000m and set 27 world records.

35

Hakeem Olajuwon

Nigerian-American basketball center widely regarded as one of the greatest centers in NBA history, known for his footwork and back-to-back championships with the Houston Rockets.

36

Hank Aaron

American Major League Baseball outfielder who broke the all-time career home-run record in 1974 and held it for over three decades.

37

Hugo Sanchez

Mexican football striker and Real Madrid club legend who won five consecutive Pichichi awards as La Liga's top scorer in the late 1980s.

38

Ian Thorpe

Australian swimmer who won five Olympic gold medals and set world records in freestyle events from 200m to 800m.

39

Ichiro Suzuki

Japanese outfielder who set the MLB single-season hits record in 2004 and amassed over 4000 professional hits across Japan and the United States.

40

Iker Casillas

Spanish goalkeeper and Real Madrid captain who lifted the 2010 FIFA World Cup as part of Spain's golden generation.

41

Imran Khan

Pakistani fast bowler and all-rounder who captained Pakistan to its first Cricket World Cup title in 1992.

42

Inzamam-ul-Haq

Pakistani cricket batter and former captain, the country's all-time leading run-scorer in Test cricket at over 8800 runs.

43

Jesse Owens

American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics in sprints and the long jump.

44

Jimmie Foxx

American baseball first baseman who won the 1933 American League Triple Crown and three consecutive MVP awards in the 1930s.

45

Joe Louis

American boxer who held the world heavyweight championship from 1937 to 1949, the longest unbroken reign in the division's history.

46

Johan Cruyff

Dutch forward and manager who won three Ballon d'Or awards and shaped the philosophy known as Total Football at Ajax and Barcelona.

47

Jonah Lomu

New Zealand rugby winger whose breakthrough at the 1995 Rugby World Cup transformed the international profile of rugby union.

48

Joseph Schooling

Singaporean swimmer who won the 100m butterfly gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, defeating Michael Phelps and earning Singapore's first Olympic gold.

49

Judd Trump

English professional snooker player and former world champion, known for attacking long-pot play and a 2019 World Championship victory.

50

Kaka

Brazilian attacking midfielder who won the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Ballon d'Or during his AC Milan years.

51

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

American basketball center who won six NBA championships and held the league's all-time scoring record for nearly four decades.

52

Karrie Webb

Australian professional golfer and seven-time major champion who completed the LPGA Career Grand Slam at the youngest age in tour history.

53

Karsten Warholm

Norwegian 400m hurdler and Olympic gold medalist who set the men's world record at 45.94 seconds at the 2021 Tokyo Games.

54

Katie Ledecky

American swimmer who has won nine Olympic gold medals and holds world records in the 800m, 1500m, and other distance freestyle events.

55

Kelly Pavlik

American boxer and former WBC and WBO middleweight world champion, with a fight record built on aggressive pressure boxing.

56

Keshav Maharaj

South African left-arm spin bowler and Test team specialist, the first bowler to take a Test hat-trick for South Africa.

57

Kevin Trapp

German football goalkeeper with European trophy success at Eintracht Frankfurt and Paris Saint-Germain.

58

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Russian mixed martial artist who retired undefeated at 29-0 as UFC lightweight champion.

59

Kobe Bryant

American basketball guard who won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers across two decades.

60

Kostya Tszyu

Russian-Australian boxer and former undisputed light welterweight world champion known for accurate, heavy punching across a 14-year professional career.

61

Krzysztof Piatek

Polish football striker known for prolific Serie A goalscoring with Genoa and AC Milan and a 2018 FIFA World Cup appearance with Poland.

62

Kylian Mbappe

French forward who won the 2018 FIFA World Cup at age 19 and has been among the world's top scorers across Ligue 1 and La Liga.

63

Larry Bird

American basketball forward who won three NBA championships with the Boston Celtics during the 1980s.

64

LeBron James

American basketball forward, four-time NBA champion, and the league's all-time leading scorer.

65

Lennox Lewis

British boxer who became undisputed heavyweight world champion in 1999, the last undisputed champion before the four-belt era.

66

Lionel Messi

Argentine football forward widely considered one of the greatest players in the sport's history, with eight Ballon d'Or awards.

67

Luis Suarez

Uruguayan football striker and three-time league top scorer in three different countries, with international honours including Copa America 2011.

68

Luka Modric

Croatian football midfielder, 2018 Ballon d'Or winner, and the first non-Argentine or Portuguese to win the award in over a decade.

69

Luke Shaw

English football left back known for his Manchester United career and the opening goal of the UEFA Euro 2020 final for England.

70

Magic Johnson

American basketball point guard who won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and led the Showtime era of the 1980s.

71

Manny Pacquiao

Filipino boxer who won world titles across eight weight classes, more than any other fighter in boxing history.

72

Mark Cox

English tennis player who reached the top 25 in the world in the late 1960s and reached the semi-finals of three Grand Slam events.

73

Mark Spitz

American swimmer who won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics, a record that stood until 2008.

74

Marta

Brazilian forward and six-time FIFA World Player of the Year, widely regarded as one of the greatest women's footballers in history.

75

Martina Navratilova

Czech-American tennis player who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles and a record 31 Grand Slam doubles titles.

76

Megan Rapinoe

American forward and two-time FIFA World Cup winner who captained the United States women's team in the 2010s.

77

Mia Hamm

American forward and two-time FIFA World Cup winner who helped popularize women's football in the United States.

78

Michael Johnson

American sprinter who won four Olympic gold medals and set world records in the 200m and 400m.

79

Michael Jordan

American basketball guard who won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player ever.

80

Michael Phelps

American swimmer who won 23 Olympic gold medals, the most by any Olympic athlete in history.

81

Michel Platini

French attacking midfielder and three-time Ballon d'Or winner who led France to the 1984 European Championship.

82

Mike Tyson

American boxer who became the youngest undisputed heavyweight champion in history at age 20 in 1986.

83

Misbah-ul-Haq

Pakistani cricket batter and former Test captain who led Pakistan to the number-one Test ranking in 2016 and shared the record for the fastest Test fifty.

84

Mithali Raj

Indian cricket batter and former captain, the all-time leading run-scorer in Women's One Day International cricket.

85

Muhammad Ali

American boxer and three-time heavyweight world champion widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in history.

86

Nadia Comaneci

Romanian gymnast who scored the first perfect 10.0 in Olympic gymnastics history at the 1976 Montreal Games.

87

Nancy Lopez

American professional golfer and three-time major champion, the LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in the same season.

88

Naomi Osaka

Japanese tennis player and four-time Grand Slam singles champion, the first Asian player to reach world number one in singles.

89

Neymar

Brazilian forward and Olympic gold medallist known for dribbling skill and goalscoring across Santos, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Al-Hilal.

90

Nick Faldo

English golfer and six-time major champion, dominant in the late 1980s and early 1990s with a methodical short game and remodeled swing.

91

Nikola Jokic

Serbian basketball center, three-time NBA Most Valuable Player and 2023 NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets.

92

Novak Djokovic

Serbian tennis player who holds the men's record for Grand Slam singles titles with 24 and most weeks at world No. 1.

93

Odell Beckham Jr.

American football wide receiver and Pro Bowl selection, remembered for a one-handed catch that became one of the most-replayed moments in NFL history.

94

Oksana Baiul

Ukrainian figure skater who won Olympic gold in Lillehammer in 1994 at age 16, the first Olympic champion from independent Ukraine.

95

Oksana Chusovitina

Uzbek gymnast and eight-time Olympian, the only gymnast to compete at eight Olympic Games across more than three decades.

96

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Norwegian football striker remembered for his late winner in Manchester United's 1999 Champions League final to complete the historic treble.

97

Oscar Robertson

American basketball guard who recorded the first NBA season triple-double average in 1961-62 and won the 1971 NBA championship with Milwaukee.

98

Paolo Maldini

Italian defender who spent his entire 25-year senior career at AC Milan and is regarded as one of the greatest defenders in football history.

99

Pele

Brazilian football forward who won three FIFA World Cups and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the sport's history.

100

Pete Sampras

American tennis player who won 14 Grand Slam singles titles, including seven Wimbledon championships.

101

Prithvi Shaw

Indian cricket batter who became the youngest Indian to score a Test century on debut and captained India's 2018 Under-19 World Cup-winning team.

102

Qin Kai

Chinese springboard diver and four-time Olympic medalist, twice a synchronized 3m gold medalist for China.

103

Quincy Promes

Dutch football winger and attacking forward known for his time at Ajax, Sevilla, and Spartak Moscow, and over 50 caps for the Netherlands.

104

Quinton de Kock

South African wicket-keeper batter known for explosive top-order white-ball batting and over 6000 ODI runs across his career.

105

Quinton Jackson

American mixed martial artist known as "Rampage," former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and Pride Fighting Championships fixture.

106

Rafael Nadal

Spanish tennis player who won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, including a record 14 French Open championships.

107

Rick Fox

Bahamian-Canadian basketball wing who won three NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s.

108

Roger Federer

Swiss tennis player who won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, including eight Wimbledon championships.

109

Ronaldinho

Brazilian attacking midfielder and forward who won the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the Ballon d'Or in 2005 during his Barcelona peak.

110

Ronaldo Nazario

Brazilian striker, two-time World Cup winner, and three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, often called "O Fenomeno."

111

Roy Jones Jr.

American boxer who won world titles in four weight classes from middleweight to heavyweight.

112

Saqlain Mushtaq

Pakistani off-spin bowler credited with developing the modern "doosra" delivery, with over 200 Test wickets in his international career.

113

Sebastian Coe

British middle-distance runner who won two Olympic 1500m gold medals and set world records across 800m to the mile.

114

Sebastien Loeb

French rally driver and nine-time World Rally Championship winner, the most successful driver in WRC history.

115

Serena Williams

American tennis player who won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in the Open Era.

116

Sergei Fedorov

Russian ice hockey center and three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Detroit Red Wings, the first Russian to win the NHL Most Valuable Player award.

117

Sergey Bubka

Ukrainian pole vaulter who won six consecutive World Championships and set 35 world records.

118

Shaquille O'Neal

American basketball center who won four NBA championships and was one of the most dominant low-post players in league history.

119

Shawn Kemp

American basketball power forward and six-time NBA All-Star known for athletic dunks during his time with the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1990s.

120

Steffi Graf

German tennis player who won 22 Grand Slam singles titles and the only Golden Slam (all four majors plus Olympic gold) in a single calendar year.

121

Stephen Curry

American basketball point guard who has won four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors and is the league's all-time three-point leader.

122

Sugar Ray Robinson

American boxer who held the welterweight world title and five middleweight world titles, often called the greatest boxer pound-for-pound.

123

Tiger Woods

American golfer with 15 major championships, second on the all-time list, and a record-tying 82 PGA Tour victories.

124

Tim Duncan

American basketball power forward who won five NBA championships with the San Antonio Spurs across nearly two decades.

125

Tom Brady

American football quarterback who won seven Super Bowls, more than any player in NFL history, across stints with the Patriots and Buccaneers.

126

Tony Romo

American football quarterback who set Dallas Cowboys franchise records for passing yards and touchdowns during a 14-season NFL career.

127

Toto Wolff

Austrian Formula 1 executive and former driver who led Mercedes to eight consecutive Constructors' Championships from 2014 to 2021.

128

Ty Cobb

American baseball outfielder who held the all-time MLB career batting average record above .366 and led the American League in batting average a record 12 times.

129

Ugo Humbert

French tennis player who reached the world top 15 in singles and won multiple ATP titles in the early 2020s.

130

Ulrich Salchow

Swedish figure skater, the first Olympic figure skating champion in 1908 and ten-time World champion who invented the jump that bears his name.

131

Usain Bolt

Jamaican sprinter who set world records in the 100 metres and 200 metres and won eight Olympic gold medals.

132

Uwe Seeler

German football striker and Hamburger SV club legend who captained West Germany at four FIFA World Cups in the 1950s and 1960s.

133

Venus Williams

American tennis player who won seven Grand Slam singles titles and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Serena.

134

Vince Carter

American basketball wing whose 22-season NBA career was the longest by a single player and who became known for spectacular dunks.

135

Vinicius Junior

Brazilian football winger and Real Madrid forward, known for his pace and dribbling on the left flank and decisive Champions League goals.

136

Virat Kohli

Indian cricket batter and former captain, widely regarded as one of the leading run-scorers across all three international formats in his era.

137

Vlade Divac

Serbian basketball center and NBA All-Star, the first international NBA player to record over 13000 career points and 9000 rebounds.

138

Wahab Riaz

Pakistani fast bowler known for hostile left-arm pace, particularly remembered for a 2015 Cricket World Cup spell against Australia.

139

Wayne Gretzky

Canadian ice hockey center widely considered the greatest player in NHL history, holding more than 60 league records when he retired.

140

Wayne Rooney

English football forward and Manchester United all-time top scorer who also held the England national team scoring record on his retirement.

141

Willie Mays

American baseball center fielder, 24-time MLB All-Star and 1954 World Series winner, regarded as one of the greatest all-around players in baseball history.

142

Wilma Rudolph

American sprinter who became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics at the 1960 Rome Games.

143

Wilt Chamberlain

American basketball center who scored 100 points in a single NBA game and held many of the league's scoring and rebounding records.

144

Xander Schauffele

American golfer and two-time major champion, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist in men's individual golf.

145

Xavi

Spanish midfielder who won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was central to Barcelona's tiki-taka era under coach Pep Guardiola.

146

Xherdan Shaqiri

Swiss football winger with Kosovan roots, known for powerful long-range shooting and a 2017 UEFA Champions League title with Liverpool.

147

Yannick Noah

French tennis player who won the 1983 French Open men's singles title, the last French champion at Roland Garros in the men's draw.

148

Yao Ming

Chinese basketball center who played eight NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets and helped expand the league's global audience.

149

Yelena Isinbayeva

Russian pole vaulter, two-time Olympic gold medalist and the first woman to clear 5 metres in pole vault.

150

Yevgeny Kafelnikov

Russian tennis player and former world number one, winner of two Grand Slam singles titles and the 2000 Sydney Olympic gold medal.

151

Yu Darvish

Japanese-Iranian pitcher who set Nippon Professional Baseball strikeout records before joining MLB, where he became a multi-time All-Star.

152

Yulia Lipnitskaya

Russian figure skater who won team gold at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics at age 15, the youngest Russian to win Winter Olympic gold.

153

Zico

Brazilian football attacking midfielder of the 1980s, sometimes called the "White Pele" for his playmaking and free-kick technique at Flamengo.

154

Zinedine Zidane

French attacking midfielder who won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the Ballon d'Or in 1998, and later coached Real Madrid to three Champions League titles.

155

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Swedish football striker who won league titles in four different countries and is widely regarded as Sweden's greatest footballer.

156

Zola Budd

South African long-distance runner who set a women's 5000m world record at age 17 and competed barefoot for Great Britain at the 1984 Olympics.