The 16 Biggest Global Sports Icons of the 2010s
Ten years when a footballer, a sprinter and a boxer were equally famous in places that watch none of them.
1Cristiano RonaldoWon four Champions League titles in the decade and became the most followed person on the planet.1000pts
2Michael PhelpsFinished with 23 Olympic golds after a final haul in Rio.833pts
3Tom BradyWon four Super Bowls in the decade, including a 28-3 comeback.778pts
4LeBron JamesReached eight consecutive NBA Finals and won titles with three different franchises.714pts
5Floyd MayweatherTopped the Forbes highest-paid athlete list four times and sold the decade's two biggest fights.629pts
6Usain BoltDefended both sprint titles at London 2012 and Rio 2016 before retiring.629pts
7Lionel MessiWon four Ballon d'Or awards in the decade and left Barcelona as its record scorer.555pts
8Stephen CurryChanged how basketball is played and won three titles with Golden State.555pts
9Virat KohliIndia's captain and the most watched batter of the decade.470pts
10Conor McGregorHeld two UFC titles at once and then boxed Mayweather in the decade's second-biggest fight.370pts
11Simone BilesWon four golds in Rio and redefined what a gymnastics routine could contain.370pts
12Lewis HamiltonWon five Formula 1 titles in the decade and became its most recognisable driver.370pts
13NeymarThe most expensive transfer in football history and a fixture of global advertising.370pts
14Serena WilliamsWon twelve of her twenty-three major singles titles during the decade.252pts
15Roger FedererCame back from injury at 35 to win the 2017 Australian Open and Wimbledon.252pts
16Manny PacquiaoA world champion and a sitting senator in the Philippines at the same time.0pts
#Sports662#Celebrities134#2010s108#Athletes44
Comments
Pacquiao sat in the Philippine Senate while he was still fighting, and this list measures exactly that kind of fame: https://youpick.best/articles/mayweather-vs-pacquiao-ranked
