2019 Most Popular Athletes - ESPN World Fame 100
This is the fourth year that ESPN has been calculating the world's most popular athletes, using a ranking based on a proprietary formula which takes into consideration online searches, endorsements and social media followers. The most famous athletes this year was the same as in the previous three years, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. We have also listed the top ranked athlete from each sport and from each country that was on the list.
List of Top-10 most famous sports people of 2019
Here is the top-10 of the World's most famous sports people of 2019. Income and followers are listed as millions. Search popularity was also factored into the ranking. The top three most famous sports people have not changed in the first four years of this list. There were several women on the list too, the highest ranked was Serena Williams at 17th.
| Name | Sport | Nationality | Search | Endorse- ments |
Followers | last year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Soccer | Portugal | 100 | 37 | 148 | 1 |
| 2 | LeBron James | Basketball | USA | 47 | 52 | 45.3 | 2 |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Soccer | Argentina | 54 | 28 | 103.1 | 3 |
| 4 | Neymar | Soccer | Brazil | 55 | 19 | 107.2 | 4 |
| 5 | Conor McGregor | MMA | Ireland | 100 | 15 | 29.7 | >10 |
| 6 | Roger Federer | Tennis | Switzerland | 23 | 41.5 | 14.5 | 5 |
| 7 | Virat Kohli | Cricket | India | 25 | 20 | 37.1 | >10 |
| 8 | Rafael Nadal | Tennis | Spain | 40 | 29.3 | 15.6 | 8 |
| 9 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | USA | 12 | 42 | 23 | 9 |
| 10 | Tiger Woods | Golf | USA | 20 | 42 | 6.4 | 6 |
Conor McGregor ranks 5th The Most Famous For Each Country
Here is the most famous sports people for each country in 2019, taken from the top 100 list.
| Nationality | Name | Sport | Search | Endorse- ments |
Followers | overall rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Lionel Messi | Soccer | 54 | 28 | 103.1 | 3 |
| Bangladesh | Shakib Al Hasan | Cricket | 1 | 6.98 | 10.7 | 90 |
| Belgium | Eden Hazard | Soccer | 13 | 5.3 | 17.6 | 59 |
| Brazil | Neymar | Soccer | 55 | 19 | 107.2 | 4 |
| Chile | Alexis Sanchez | Soccer | 24 | 3.8 | 9.6 | 72 |
| China | Sun Yang | Swimming | 1 | 2.46 | 32.6 | 43 |
| Colombia | James Rodriguez | Soccer | 11 | 4.8 | 40.5 | 29 |
| Croatia | Luka Modric | Soccer | 16 | 5.25 | 16.1 | 60 |
| Egypt | Mohamed Salah | Soccer | 24 | 11 | 21.3 | 30 |
| England | Lewis Hamilton | Formula 1 | 3 | 33 | 8.7 | 21 |
| France | Paul Pogba | Soccer | 15 | 32 | 30.7 | 12 |
| Germany | Mesut Ozil | Soccer | 15 | 6.5 | 30.9 | 19 |
| Greece | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Basketball | 2 | 13 | 3.5 | 85 |
| India | Virat Kohli | Cricket | 25 | 20 | 37.1 | 7 |
| Ireland | Conor McGregor | MMA | 100 | 15 | 29.7 | 5 |
| Italy | Valentino Rossi | Moto GP | 5 | 6.98 | 13.2 | 67 |
| Japan | Kei Nishikori | Tennis | 9 | 33 | 0.927 | 28 |
| Kazakhstan | Gennady Golovkin | Boxing | 40 | 2 | 3.4 | 78 |
| Mexico | Canelo Alvarez | Boxing | 44 | 2.5 | 4 | 68 |
| Northern Ireland | Rory McIlroy | Golf | 3 | 34 | 3.2 | 25 |
| Philippines | Manny Pacquiao | Boxing | 15 | 2.5 | 11.6 | 83 |
| Poland | Robert Lewandowski | Soccer | 5 | 2.9 | 13.8 | 96 |
| Portugal | Cristiano Ronaldo | Soccer | 100 | 37 | 148 | 1 |
| Russia | Khabib Nurmagomedov | MMA | 100 | 3.9 | 13.4 | 15 |
| Scotland | Andy Murray | Tennis | 2 | 13 | 3.6 | 75 |
| Serbia | Novak Djokovic | Tennis | 21 | 22 | 8.5 | 20 |
| Spain | Rafael Nadal | Tennis | 40 | 29.3 | 15.6 | 8 |
| Sweden | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Soccer | 10 | 5.5 | 35.8 | 32 |
| Switzerland | Roger Federer | Tennis | 23 | 41.5 | 14.5 | 6 |
| Uruguay | Luis Suarez | Soccer | 6 | 7.4 | 31.2 | 36 |
| USA | LeBron James | Basketball | 47 | 52 | 45.3 | 2 |
| Wales | Gareth Bale | Soccer | 9 | 5.5 | 37.7 | 33 |
The most famous for each sport
Here is the most famous sports people for each sport taken from the top 100 list in 2019.
| Sport | Name | Nationality | Search | Endorse- ments |
Followers | overall rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Football | Tom Brady | USA | 35 | 20 | 4.7 | 31 |
| Baseball | Bryce Harper | USA | 3 | 13 | 1.4 | 99 |
| Basketball | LeBron James | USA | 47 | 52 | 45.3 | 2 |
| Boxing | Deontay Wilder | USA | 100 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 34 |
| Cricket | Virat Kohli | India | 25 | 20 | 37.1 | 7 |
| Esports | Ninja | USA | 1 | 2.46 | 12.5 | 41 |
| Figure Skating | Yuzuru Hanyu | Japan | 22 | 13.41 | 0 | 64 |
| Golf | Tiger Woods | USA | 20 | 42 | 6.4 | 10 |
| MMA | Conor McGregor | Ireland | 100 | 15 | 29.7 | 5 |
| Motorsports | Lewis Hamilton | England | 3 | 33 | 8.7 | 21 |
| Snowboarding | Shaun White | USA | 32 | 27 | 2.4 | 24 |
| Soccer | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 100 | 37 | 148 | 1 |
| Swimming | Sun Yang | China | 1 | 2.46 | 32.6 | 43 |
| Tennis | Roger Federer | Switzerland | 23 | 41.5 | 14.5 | 6 |
References
- The full top 100 list was originally published on the ESPN website
Related Pages
- Discussion about the world's most popular athletes
- about ESPN World Fame 100 and list of winners
- lists of most popular sports
- Highest paid athletes
- Greatest Athletes of All Time
- sporting heroes
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