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2018 Most Popular Athletes - ESPN World Fame 100

This is the third year that ESPN have been calculating the world's most popular athletes, using a ranking based on a proprietary formula which factors online searches, endorsements and social media followers. The most famous athletes this year was the same as in the previous two 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 2018

Here is the top-10 of the World's most famous sports people of 2018. 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 three years of this list. There were many women on the list too, the highest ranked was Serena Williams at 12th.

  Name Sport Nationality Search Endorse-
ments
Followers last year
1 Cristiano Ronaldo Soccer Portugal 100 40 121.7 1
2 LeBron James Basketball USA 63 55 40.8 2
3 Lionel Messi Soccer Argentina 134 25 88.1 3
4 Neymar Soccer Brazil 179 24 90.2 6
5 Roger Federer Tennis Switzerland 92 40 14.6 4
6 Tiger Woods Golf USA 88 45 6.3 10
7 Kevin Durant Basketball USA 45 36 17.5 8
8 Rafael Nadal Tennis Spain 61 33 15.5 9
9 Stephen Curry Basketball USA 38 35 19.4  
10 Phil Mickelson Golf USA 3 50 0 5

The Most Famous For Each Country

Here is the most famous sports people for each country in 2018, taken from the top 100 list.

Nationality Name Sport Search Endorse-
ments
Followers overall rank
Argentina Lionel Messi Soccer 134 25 88.1 3
Belarus Victoria Azarenka Tennis 4 9 1.5 98
Belgium Eden Hazard Soccer 5 4.2 12.3 85
Brazil Neymar Soccer 179 24 90.2 4
Chile Alexis Sanchez Soccer 80 7.7 8.8 40
China Sun Yang Swimming 1 - 32 17
Colombia James Rodriguez Soccer 27 6 35.1 23
Denmark Caroline Wozniacki Tennis 27 9 3.1 66
England Wayne Rooney Soccer 23 7.3 24.9 26
France Paul Pogba Soccer 9 9.8 21.1 33
Gabon Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Soccer 34 7.1 6.5 67
Germany Mesut Ozil Soccer 6 7 31 22
India Virat Kohli Cricket 88 17.4 36.9 11
Ireland Conor McGregor MMA 172 9 22.6 18
Japan Yuzuru Hanyu Figure Skating 69 - 0 70
Kazakhstan Gennady Golovkin Boxing 164 0.55 2.5 61
Mexico Canelo Alvarez Boxing 165 .40 3 58
Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy Golf 4 35 3.2 15
Philippines Manny Pacquiao Boxing 70 2.5 11.4 63
Poland Robert Lewandowski Soccer 8 4.1 12.2 87
Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo Soccer 100 40 121.7 1
Romania Simoa Halep Tennis 39 8 1.4 77
Russia Maria Sharopova Tennis 23 18 14.8 21
Scotland Andy Murray Tennis 27 9 3.7 56
Serbia Novak Djokovic Tennis 26 30 8.3 13
South Africa AB de Villiers Cricket 4 4.5 5.7 99
Spain Rafael Nadal Tennis 61 33 15.5 8
Sweden Zlatan Ibrahimovic Soccer 25 6.1 30.5 25
Switzerland Roger Federer Tennis 92 40 14.6 5
Ukraine Wladimir Klitschko Boxing 99 4 1.9 74
Uruguay Luis Suarez Soccer 6 7.5 26.4 35
USA LeBron James Basketball 63 55 40.8 2
Wales Gareth Bale Soccer 10 13 32.8 19

The most famous for each sport

Here is the most famous sports people for each sport taken from the top 100 list in 2018.

Sport Name Nationality Search Endorse-
ments
Followers overall rank
American Football Tom Brady USA 160 6 4.4 38
Badminton Saina Nehwal India 1 10 7.9 50
Basketball LeBron James USA 63 55 40.8 2
Boxing Floyd Mayweather USA 196 15 20.1 14
Cricket Virat Kohli India 88 17.4 36.9 11
Figure Skating Yuzuru Hanyu Japan 69 - 0 70
Formula One Lewis Hamilton England 10 7 6.3 68
Golf Tiger Woods USA 88 45 6.3 6
MMA Conor McGregor Ireland 172 9 22.6 18
Skiing Lindsey Vonn USA 51 5 1.5 95
Snowboarding Shaun White USA 144 12 2.3 32
Soccer Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal 100 40 121.7 1
Swimming Sun Yang China 1 - 32 17
Table Tennis Zhang Jike China 14 - 8 78
Tennis Roger Federer Switzerland 92 40 14.6 5

References



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Lists Extra

Football/Soccer is clearly the world's most popular sport, and has the most popular athletes, but which sport has the fittest players (but not necessarily the greatest athlete). These players do not always earn the most. The best of the best have made it to our 7 Sporting Wonders Lists.

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