TOP 15 MOST FAMOUS ATHLETES IN THE WORLD

TOP 15 MOST FAMOUS ATHLETES IN THE WORLD

15.Conor McGregor

The UFC fighter is renowned for his work in mixed martial arts, but the Irishman only fought once last year — and it was in a boxing ring rather than a UFC octagon. McGregor's loss to Floyd Mayweather made him $100 million richer, and his alleged attack on a UFC team bus last month made him even more infamous.

14.Jordan Spieth

The American golfer is "the real deal," according to ESPN. Last year was a standout period for Spieth as he won The Open, a victory that ensured he had won three of golf's four majors at 23 years old.

13.Rory Mcilroy

The US Masters continues to elude McIlroy's grasp as it is the only golf major he has not yet won. The Northern Irish athlete has made $35 million in endorsements so far and turns 30 next year.

12.Flyod Mayweather

The retired boxer was the most searched for athlete on ESPN's list. He last fought in August 2017 and defeated UFC fighter Conor McGregor in the 10th round of their boxing rules contest, a fight ESPN called a "farce."

11.Novak Djokovic

Tennis star Djokovic may have fallen from the summit of his sport, but he retains a good social media following, is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, and has a foundation that supports childhood education projects.

10.Serena Williams

The American tennis player took a hiatus from sport to focus on her pregnancy last year. But despite being away from the game, she remained the most visible women's player in tennis. She graced many magazine covers, wrote an article on the gender pay gap for Fortune, and married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

9.Virat Kohli

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli was named in Time's 100 most influential people in the world with good reason — he is the 2017 ICC World Cricketer of the Year and is married to Bollywood star Anushka Sharma.

8.Rafael Nadal

Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal is enjoying a career renaissance. He finished 2017 as the ATP world ranked number one, and continues to compete with arch rival Roger Federer.

7.Kevin Durant

The basketball player has had a busy year. Kevin Durant swapped Oklahoma City Thunder for Golden State Warriors and founded The Durant Company, which invests in tech startups.

6.Tiger Woods

The American golfer's DUI arrest "might have been his lowest point" and his back injury even jeopardised his playing career, but Woods is "fit… healthy, smiling, and thankful for an opportunity to extend his career," according to ESPN.

5.Usain Bolt

Sometimes also called “Lightning Bolt”, Usain is a Jamaican Track & Field player.



4.Neymar

Brazil forward Neymar swapped FC Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in a $263 million deal last summer and will be a key player for his country in the upcoming FIFA World Cup tournament in Russia.

3.Lionel Messi

The FC Barcelona forward has a social media channel followed by 97.5 million fans on his biggest platform — but that's over 30 million less than Ronaldo. Messi's name, though, is more widely searched on the likes of Google.

2.LeBron James

Cleveland Cavaliers small forward James is the NBA's best player, according to ESPN, but "it's his social commentary that has set him apart" in this year's list. This is because he called President Trump "a bum" in a tweet that was retweeted 650,000 times.

1.Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid and Portugal national team striker Ronaldo is the most famous athlete in the world, according to ESPN. He is the Champions League all-time leading goalscorer (120), has equaled Lionel Messi's record of five Ballon d'Or trophies, and his biggest social media platform has 138 million followers.