Who Is The Most Famous Athlete In The World in 2024? Deciding who the “most famous athlete in the world” is can be tricky. It depends on many things like how well-known they are, what sport they play, how much they’ve achieved, and how many people know about them worldwide, including on social media. But in 2024, there are a few athletes who are up there when it comes to being super famous.
Who Is The Most Famous Athlete In The World in 2024?
We made a list of the world’s top 10 most famous athletes for 2024 who are still active in sports.
1. Lionel Messi
- Profession: Footballer
Lionel Messi is the most famous athlete in the world in 2024. He started playing soccer at a young age and joined FC Barcelona’s youth team when he was 13. Messi played for Barcelona for 17 years and scored a lot of goals, making him their top scorer ever. He won many titles with Barcelona, including the Champions League and the Spanish Championship multiple times.
After leaving Barcelona due to financial reasons, Messi played for Paris Saint-Germain in France for two years and then moved to Inter Miami in the USA in 2023.
Messi has played for Argentina since 2005. He played in several World Cups and Copa America tournaments, winning the Copa America in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022. Messi has received many awards, including the Ballon d’Or, which he won eight times.
In the USA, Messi wasn’t as well known before joining Inter Miami, but now he’s very popular. His first match for the team was attended by celebrities like Selena Gomez and LeBron James, making him even more famous in the country.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
- Profession: Soccer Player
Cristiano Ronaldo is ranked 2nd among the Most Famous Athletes in the World in 2024. He started his soccer career at Sporting Lisbon’s youth academy and then moved to Manchester United when he was 18 years old. Ronaldo played as a midfielder at first but later became known for his skills as a left winger. During his time at Manchester United, he helped the team win three English championships in a row and the UEFA Champions League in 2008.
After transferring to Real Madrid, Ronaldo became one of the most expensive players in history and scored over 400 goals in more than 400 games for the club. He won four more Champions League titles with Real Madrid in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018, becoming the first player to win five titles in the Champions League era. Ronaldo then played for Juventus Turin, winning the Italian championship in 2019 and 2020, before returning to Manchester United in 2021. He currently plays for al-Nassr FC in Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo made his debut for the Portuguese national team when he was 18 years old. He has played in multiple European Championships and World Cups, leading Portugal to victory in the 2016 European Championship and the 2019 Nations League as team captain. Ronaldo holds records for the most international appearances and goals and is Portugal’s World Cup record player.
Ronaldo has been named World Player of the Year five times and European Player of the Year three times. He holds records for appearances and goals in the Champions League and has won championships and top scorer awards in England, Spain, and Italy. He has also received the Golden Shoe Award four times.
3. LeBron James
- Profession: Basketball player, Television producer, Screenwriter, Athlete, Voice acting
LeBron James is a really famous basketball player. He played for the Miami Heat from 2010 to 2014 and before that, he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018. He’s 2.06 meters tall and usually plays as a small forward, but he can play in different positions. People call him “King James” because of his greatness in basketball.
LeBron was seen as a future basketball star when he was in high school. He joined the NBA right after and was picked first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. In his first year, he won the Rookie of the Year award. He was also named the league’s most valuable player (MVP) in 2008/09 and 2009/10. He led the Cavaliers to the playoffs several times and even got them to their first finals in 2007.
Then he joined the Miami Heat in 2010 and formed a strong trio with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. They made it to the finals but lost to the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. However, they won back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. LeBron also did well in the Olympics, winning gold medals in 2008 and 2012.
In 2014, he went back to the Cleveland Cavaliers and helped them win their first NBA title in 2016. Then in 2018, he joined the Los Angeles Lakers and won another championship in 2020, where he was named the most valuable player. He was the best scorer in NBA history.
4. Neymar
- Profession: Footballer
Neymar is a very famous soccer player. He started his professional career at FC Santos and then moved to FC Barcelona in 2013. He had a lot of success there, winning the Spanish championship twice and the Champions League in 2015. In 2017, he joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a huge amount of money, becoming the most expensive player ever. He won several titles with PSG before moving to his current club, Al Hilal, in Saudi Arabia.
For Brazil’s national team, Neymar has been a star since 2010. He’s scored more goals than anyone else in the team’s history. He’s played in several World Cups and Copa Américas, winning some major tournaments like the Confederations Cup in 2013 and the Olympics in 2016.
Neymar has been in the spotlight for his skills on the field and his influence off it. He’s won many awards and accolades, including being named in top teams like FIFA FIFPro World11 and UEFA Team of the Year. He’s also known for his marketability, being ranked as one of the most marketable athletes in the world.
5. Novak Djokovic
- Profession: Tennis Player
Novak Djokovic is a tennis superstar who has an incredible career. He’s been ranked number one in the world for eight seasons and holds the record for the most weeks at the top spot. Djokovic has dominated the ATP Finals, winning it seven times. Throughout his career, he’s won an astonishing 98 singles titles and even triumphed in one doubles tournament.
When it comes to Grand Slam tournaments, Djokovic is the undisputed king. He’s won a record 24 titles in singles, being the only player to win each major tournament at least three times. His impressive record includes ten Australian Open titles, seven Wimbledon victories, four US Open triumphs, and three French Open wins. In 2016, he achieved a remarkable feat by winning all four Grand Slam titles in a single year, joining the elite company of Don Budge and Rod Laver.
Djokovic’s success isn’t limited to Grand Slam events. He’s also excelled in ATP Masters 1000 series tournaments, winning a staggering 40 titles. Additionally, he led his team to victory in the 2010 Davis Cup. Djokovic stands alone as the only player to have won each Masters series event at least twice. Furthermore, he’s made history by becoming the first player to surpass both the $100 million and $150 million marks in tournament prize money.
6. Steph Curry
- Profession: Basketball player
Steph Curry is a basketball legend who has made a name for himself with the Golden State Warriors. Drafted in 2009, he’s stayed loyal to the team throughout his entire career. Born into a basketball family, with his father Dell Curry being a former NBA player and his brother Seth playing in the league, basketball runs in his blood.
Known for his incredible shooting skills, Curry is widely regarded as the best long-range shooter in basketball history. Many experts and former players even consider him the greatest shooter. He’s shattered numerous records, including the NBA record for most three-pointers made in a season, which he broke multiple times.
In December 2021, Curry broke the NBA’s regular season three-point shot record, solidifying his place in basketball history. Throughout his career, Curry has achieved remarkable success with the Warriors, winning four NBA championships, being selected as an All-Star eight times, and earning the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award twice. He’s also been named MVP of the NBA Finals once.
Curry’s scoring prowess is undeniable, leading the league in points per game in both the 2015/16 and 2020/21 seasons. His impact on the game of basketball and his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time is truly remarkable.
7. Roman Reigns
- Profession: Professional wrestler, actor, football player
Roman Reigns is a famous wrestler in WWE. He’s currently ranked 7th among the most famous athletes in the world in 2024. Right now, he’s the WWE Universal Champion for the second time and the WWE Champion for the fourth time.
Before wrestling, Reigns played college football at Georgia Tech. He also had short stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL in 2007. In 2008, he played for the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL before retiring from football. He then joined WWE in 2010, starting in their development league, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). He made his big debut in 2012 as part of a group called The Shield.
Reigns has won many championships in WWE, including the WWE Championship and the WWE Universal Championship multiple times. He’s also won the Royal Rumble and been named Superstar of the Year. He’s had some big matches at events like WrestleMania.
In the past, WWE tried to make Reigns a hero, but fans didn’t like it. In 2020, he came back as a villain, which people enjoyed. Overall, Reigns is considered one of the best wrestlers in the world today.
8. Tiger Woods
- Profession: Golfer, Athlete, Writer
Tiger Woods is a successful golfer. He’s won 15 major tournaments, which is the second-most ever. He shares the record for the most wins on the PGA Tour with 82 victories, tied with Sam Snead. He’s also been ranked as the best golfer in the world for a total of 683 weeks.
However, Woods has some tough times in his career. In 2009, he took a break from golf because of problems in his personal life. He had to deal with issues in his marriage and admitted to making mistakes. He had some injuries too, needing four surgeries on his back between 2014 and 2017. At one point, he was barely playing and dropped off the list of the world’s top 1,000 golfers.
But Woods made a comeback. He won his first tournament in five years in 2018 and then shocked everyone by winning the Masters in 2019, his first major in 11 years.
Woods holds lots of golf records. He’s been named PGA Player of the Year 11 times and has won the Byron Nelson Award for lowest scoring average eight times. He’s won 15 major championships and 82 PGA Tour events.
In 2021, Woods was in a serious car accident that left him with severe injuries to his right leg and ankle. He had to have emergency surgery. He later said that he wouldn’t play golf full-time anymore but would still compete in a few events each year. He returned to the PGA Tour for the first time after the crash at the 2022 Masters.
9. Rafael Nadal
- Profession: Tennis player, Athlete
Rafael Nadal is one of the most famous athletes worldwide, ranking 9th in 2024. He’s been the number one tennis player five times and held that position for 209 weeks altogether. Throughout his career, he’s won 92 singles titles and eleven doubles titles.
Nadal has won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, second only to Novak Djokovic’s 24. He’s particularly dominant at the French Open, winning it 14 times. He’s also won the US Open four times, Wimbledon, and the Australian Open twice each, making him one of four players to win each Grand Slam tournament at least twice. Additionally, he’s won gold medals at the 2008 and 2016 Olympics, and he’s been part of the winning Spanish Davis Cup team five times.
He’s famous for his success on clay courts, holding the record for the longest winning streak on this surface. He’s won numerous titles on clay, including the Masters tournament in Monte Carlo eleven times and the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona twelve times. Many consider him the best clay court player in tennis history, earning him the nickname “clay court king.”
10. Virat Kohli
- Profession: Cricketer
Ranked 10th among the Most Famous athletes in The World is Virat Kohli, known as one of cricket’s best batsmen ever. He’s famous for scoring lots of runs in T20I and IPL cricket, and he’s also done well in ODI cricket. He played a big role in India winning the 2011 Cricket World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. He also led India to win the ICC Test match thrice in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Kohli has won many awards for his great cricket skills. He’s been named the ICC ODI Player of the Year four times and won the ICC Cricketer of the Year award twice. He’s the only one to win both ICC ODI and Test Player of the Year in the same year, which he did in 2018. He’s also been recognized as the top cricketer in the world by Wisden for three years in a row. In India, he’s received the Arjuna Award, the Padma Shri, and the Khel Ratna Award, which is the highest sporting honor.
In 2018, he became only the third cricketer ever to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. Kohli’s not just famous for cricket; he’s also been listed in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018. He’s also one of the highest-earning athletes, making a lot of money through endorsements and contracts.
