Champions of the Field: The Best Sports Stars in the World

Best Sports Stars in the World

Who are the best sportsmen in the world? Some people who attempt to create such an ambitious list might focus on net worth or media popularity. In contrast, others prefer to base their rankings on statistics and record-breaking achievements.

The debate over who the best sportsmen in the world are is as old as sports. It’s a conversation that ignites passion and often leads to heated debate. To tackle this monumental question, we’ve scoured various criteria: famous wins, fan bases, record-breaking performances, and financial success, to name a few.

10. Babe Ruth

With a name that rolls off the tongue easier than most, Babe Ruth was destined for the limelight. Ruth is considered an icon of American sports culture for his immense contributions to the formulation and growth of baseball.

Before Ruth transformed baseball, the sport was known for slow strategy and low scores. However, after Ruth started hitting home runs after home runs, baseball went from slow and low to fast and high. The crowds loved it, and the sport would never be the same again.

9. Pelé

In 1999, Pelé was named ‘Greatest Athlete of the Century’ by the International Olympic Committee. He scored over 1,200 goals in 1352 appearances, officially recognized as a Guinness World Record. As a testament to his fame, Pelé is a household name worldwide.

It’s worth mentioning that – for the title of world’s greatest soccer player – Pelé beat his closest competitor, Lionel Messi, by a fairly narrow margin. Both players are beyond reproach regarding overall performance, but Pelé holds far more records and accolades.

8. Usain Bolt

As an eight-time Olympic champion and the greatest athlete in the World Athletics Championship, Usain Bolt is the world record holder for several sprinting events, including the 100m sprint, 200m sprint, and the 4 x 100m relay.

Aside from his prolific sprinting ability, Bolt is also a media sensation. His surname, brand, and media persona are synonymous with speed, and when he began his career by decimating Olympic records, sports fans immediately sat up and took note.

7. Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps is the most successful Olympian of all time. During his swimming career, he has won 28 Olympic medals, 23 of which have been gold medals. He’s won more medals than most countries; no other Olympian can compare.

For 16 years, Phelps dominated Olympic swimming events. He walked away from the 2008 Beijing Games with eight medals, breaking the record for the most in a single Olympic Games.

6. Roger Federer

Between Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal, it’s pretty tough to decide who is the greatest tennis player. All three are record holders, but Federer has held far more mass appeal for tennis fans, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s the wealthiest.

Federer’s nonchalant yet formidable style of play made him a fan favourite. He holds the record for the most Wimbledon titles and the most year-end titles, including 20 Grand Slam victories and close to 100 other singles titles.

5. Tom Brady

Tom Brady is widely regarded as football’s greatest quarterback and one of the best sportsmen to have played the game. He holds almost every major quarterback record in the NFL, most of which were obtained over the course of his 20 seasons with the New England Patriots.

Brady was instrumental to the franchise’s rise as the Patriots’ star quarterback. He’s no slouch in the finance department, either. With a reported net worth of over $400 million due to several entrepreneurial investments and deals with major sports brands.

4. Jim Thorpe

James Francis Thorpe, commonly known as Jim Thorpe, was an incredibly versatile athlete. He was an Olympic gold medalist and played professional football, baseball, and basketball.

Thorpe was the first official president of the American Professional Football Association, which would later become known as the NFL. If that isn’t enough to convince you of his stature, a town named after him can be found in Pennsylvania.

3. Wayne Gretsky

With “Great One” as his nickname, it’s safe to assume that Wayne Gretzky isn’t your average ice hockey player. In fact, despite being retired in 1999, the Great One is still the leading scorer and assist producer in the NHL.

For his as-yet unbeaten run of form, Gretzky is the only player in NHL history to have his number (99) retired from all teams in the league. Immediately after his retirement, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Ontario Hall of Fame in 2004.

2. Muhammad Ali

Waye Gretzky may be known as the Great One, but Muhammad Ali is known as “The Greatest”. He’s the greatest boxer of all time and a highly celebrated sports figure whose rise to fame is still inspiring for millions.

When Ali was at the height of his career, his charisma and skill in the ring were mesmerizing. With two Grammy Award nominations, he is also recognized as one of the first combat athletes to successfully explore a career in entertainment. 

1. Michael Jordan

No matter which metric we used to rank athletes, Michael Jordan always came out on top. From records held to net worth, career longevity with the Chicago Bulls to pop culture relevance, no athlete comes close to the man we fondly refer to as ‘MJ’.

Nowadays, it’s a well-known fact that Jordan was instrumental to the global growth of basketball and finishes first in our list of the best sportsmen of all time.

Even if we ignore his records and trophies, his iconic partnership with Nike has made him the first and only billionaire player in the NBA’s history. Michael Jordan holds the title of greatest basketball player of all time.

That rounds up our list of the best sportsmen in the world. Please leave your views in the comments below.

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