Global Leaderboard 100 in view

Most Famous Athletes in the World

Sports 32,885
All 152,953
61 MA Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali American Boxer 1942–2016
182 CR Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo Portuguese Football b. 1985
200 P Pelé Pelé Brazilian Football b. 1940
223 DM Diego Maradona Diego Maradona Argentine Football 1960–2020
257 ZZ Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Zidane French Football b. 1972
257 ZI Zlatan Ibrahimović Zlatan Ibrahimović Swedish Football b. 1981
277 N Neymar Neymar Brazilian Football b. 1992
377 UB Usain Bolt Usain Bolt Jamaican Sprint b. 1986
549 MJ Magic Johnson Magic Johnson American Basket b. 1959
554 MS Maria Sharapova Maria Sharapova Russian Player b. 1987
584 LA Lance Armstrong Lance Armstrong American Sport b. 1971
606 ND Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic Serbian Player b. 1987
675 GK Garry Kasparov Garry Kasparov Croatian Chess b. 1963
681 RN Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Spanish Player b. 1986
789 R Ronaldinho Ronaldinho Brazilian Football b. 1980
832 TH Thierry Henry Thierry Henry French Football b. 1977
889 LS Luis Suárez Luis Suárez Uruguayan Football b. 1987
1,135 JO Jesse Owens Jesse Owens American Sprint 1913–1980
1,148 MS Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher German Driver b. 1969
1,174 JM José Mourinho José Mourinho Portuguese Football b. 1963
1,270 TW Tiger Woods Tiger Woods American Golf b. 1975
1,311 LP Lukas Podolski Lukas Podolski German Football b. 1985
1,316 BB Boris Becker Boris Becker German Player b. 1967
1,382 AS Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna Brazilian Driver 1960–1994
1,443 NC Nadia Comăneci Nadia Comăneci Romanian Gymnast b. 1961
1,501 WG Wayne Gretzky Wayne Gretzky Canadian Hockey b. 1961
1,505 JR Jackie Robinson Jackie Robinson American Baseball 1919–1972
1,529 PG Pep Guardiola Pep Guardiola Spanish Football b. 1971
1,543 JF Joe Frazier Joe Frazier American Boxer 1944–2011
1,560 MB Mario Balotelli Mario Balotelli Italian Football b. 1990
1,581 DD Didier Drogba Didier Drogba Ivorian Football b. 1978
1,667 AP Andrea Pirlo Andrea Pirlo Italian Football b. 1979
1,670 MP Michel Platini Michel Platini French Football b. 1955
1,728 CB Charles Barkley Charles Barkley American Basket b. 1963
1,820 AK Anatoly Karpov Anatoly Karpov Russian Chess b. 1951
1,822 DR Dennis Rodman Dennis Rodman American Basket b. 1961
1,851 JW Johnny Weissmuller Johnny Weissmuller American Swimmer 1904–1984
1,923 CJ Caitlyn Jenner Caitlyn Jenner American Olympic b. 1949
2,019 SE Samuel Eto'o Samuel Eto'o Cameroonian Football b. 1981
2,039 MH Martina Hingis Martina Hingis Swiss Player b. 1980
2,043 GB Gianluigi Buffon Gianluigi Buffon Italian Football b. 1978
2,102 LJ LeBron James LeBron James American Basket b. 1984
2,123 MC Magnus Carlsen Magnus Carlsen Norwegian Chess b. 1990
2,191 PP Paul Pogba Paul Pogba French Football b. 1993
2,245 FR Franck Ribéry Franck Ribéry French Football b. 1983
2,293 PV Patrick Vieira Patrick Vieira French Football b. 1976
2,367 AI Andrés Iniesta Andrés Iniesta Spanish Football b. 1984
2,384 K Kaká Kaká Brazilian Football b. 1982
2,426 MS Monica Seles Monica Seles Serbian Player b. 1973
2,487 R Rivaldo Rivaldo Brazilian Football b. 1972
2,498 KA Kurt Angle Kurt Angle American Wrestler b. 1968
2,539 JD Joe DiMaggio Joe DiMaggio American Baseball 1914–1999
2,625 CE Chris Evert Chris Evert American Player b. 1954
2,631 RB Roberto Baggio Roberto Baggio Italian Football b. 1967
2,631 JL Joe Louis Joe Louis American Boxer 1914–1981
2,712 LH Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton British Driver b. 1985
2,739 AF Alex Ferguson Alex Ferguson British Football b. 1941
2,743 MN Manuel Neuer German Football b. 1986
2,763 SG Steven Gerrard Steven Gerrard British Football b. 1980
2,804 MB Michael Ballack Michael Ballack German Football b. 1976
2,819 OK Oliver Kahn Oliver Kahn German Football b. 1969
2,861 JM Juan Manuel Fangio Juan Manuel Fangio Argentine Racing 1911–1995
2,933 VJ Vinnie Jones British Football b. 1965
2,992 JT Jim Thorpe Jim Thorpe American Baseball 1887–1953
3,032 FT Fernando Torres Fernando Torres Spanish Football b. 1984
3,034 E Eusébio Eusébio Portuguese Football 1942–2014
3,090 OP Oscar Pistorius Oscar Pistorius South African Athletic b. 1986
3,120 IL Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl Czech Player b. 1960
3,131 GM Gerd Müller Gerd Müller German Football b. 1945
3,138 FL Frank Lampard Frank Lampard British Football b. 1978
3,171 LT Lilian Thuram Lilian Thuram French Football b. 1972
3,188 CF Cesc Fàbregas Cesc Fàbregas Spanish Football b. 1987
3,201 AP Arnold Palmer American Golf 1929–2016
3,213 AD Alessandro Del Piero Alessandro Del Piero Italian Football b. 1974
3,249 AS Andriy Shevchenko Andriy Shevchenko Ukrainian Football b. 1976
3,277 TP Tony Parker Tony Parker French Basket b. 1982
3,307 GF George Foreman George Foreman American Boxer b. 1949
3,349 MF Mo Farah Mo Farah British Runner b. 1983
3,456 BC Bobby Charlton Bobby Charlton British Football b. 1937
3,473 SR Sergio Ramos Sergio Ramos Spanish Football b. 1986
3,476 IC Iker Casillas Iker Casillas Spanish Football b. 1981
3,489 HA Hank Aaron American Baseball b. 1934
3,497 PN Pavel Nedvěd Pavel Nedvěd Czech Football b. 1972
3,519 FA Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso Spanish Driver b. 1981
3,535 LB Larry Bird Larry Bird American Basket b. 1956
3,540 JN Jack Nicklaus American Golf b. 1940
3,562 YN Yannick Noah Yannick Noah French Player b. 1960
3,654 PG Paul Gascoigne Paul Gascoigne British Football b. 1967
3,703 CA Carlo Ancelotti Carlo Ancelotti Italian Football b. 1959
3,726 RP Roddy Piper Roddy Piper Canadian Wrestler 1954–2015
3,742 EZ Emil Zátopek Emil Zátopek Czech Athletic 1922–2000
3,753 KW Katarina Witt Katarina Witt German Skater b. 1965
3,757 RF Rio Ferdinand Rio Ferdinand British Football b. 1978
3,886 EM Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx Belgian Sport b. 1945
3,951 LB Laurent Blanc Laurent Blanc French Football b. 1965
3,953 AR Arjen Robben Arjen Robben Dutch Football b. 1984
3,974 GH Gordie Howe Gordie Howe Canadian Hockey 1928–2016
4,014 EL Emanuel Lasker Emanuel Lasker German Chess 1868–1941
4,063 DV David Villa David Villa Spanish Football b. 1981
4,067 BS Bastian Schweinsteiger Bastian Schweinsteiger German Football b. 1984
See all 152,953 rankings →

Ranked by cross-verified academic notability — how it works

By the numbers

Inside Athletes

32,885 notable people in this slice of the dataset.

Through the Centuries

One face per century — the leading figure from Athletes born in each.

Notable Births by Decade

Notable births among Athletes peaked in the 1980s with 7,217 people.

What Athletes Are Known For

Disciplines inside this family, plus countries that over- and under-produce them.

Football is the largest group within Athletes — 14,141 people, 43% of the family.

Athletes over-index on argentina — 2.4× the global rate.

Athletes under-produce germany — only 0.3× the global rate.

  1. Football14,141
  2. Multi-Sport2,578
  3. Baseball2,192
  4. Track & Field1,446
  5. Other Athletes1,424
  6. Hockey1,265
  7. Cricket1,252
  8. Basketball1,243
  1. Argentina6402.4×
  2. Australia1,1622.0×
  3. Brazil1,2192.0×
  4. Netherlands6581.8×
  5. Ukraine3881.6×
  6. Ireland3751.5×
  1. Germany1,4000.3×
  2. France1,5110.5×
  3. Sweden6770.7×

City Hot Spots

Cities that over-produce Athletes compared to the world average — multiplier shows how much more.