Argentine football icon Lionel Messi is the highest-ranked footballer in ESPN’s list of the top 100 athletes of the 21st century.
Messi’s dominance in football is unrivaled, surpassing even his career rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, who is often hailed as one of the greatest of all time. Messi boasts the highest number of major titles, with 45 trophies to his name. Additionally, he is the first and only footballer to win the Ballon d’Or eight times, whereas Ronaldo has five victories.
It is no surprise that the 2022 FIFA World Cup and two-time Copa America winner, currently playing for Inter Miami, is the highest-placed footballer in ESPN’s top 100 athletes of the 21st-century list. Messi ranks third overall, behind tennis legend Serena Williams in second place and swimmer Michael Phelps in first.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the most followed person on social media, is ranked 13th on the list, making him the second-highest footballer after Messi. Brazil’s Marta, ranked 32nd, is the highest-ranked female footballer and third overall among football players.
Other notable footballers on the list include France and Arsenal icon Thierry Henry (48th), Barcelona women’s star Aitana Bonmati (49th), Zinedine Zidane (50th), Luka Modric (55th), Alexia Putellas (56th), USWNT legend Mia Hamm (64th), Kylian Mbappé (65th), Andrés Iniesta (70th), Xavi Hernandez (75th), Ronaldo Nazário (87th), Ronaldinho (94th), and Zlatan Ibrahimović (95th).
ESPN’s ranking was determined by over 70,000 votes from ESPN contributors, who evaluated athletes’ performances from the year 2000 onwards.