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Famous Athletes

The best-known sportspeople in our archive, ranked by historical popularity.

1,514 athletes in our database, ranked by historical popularity. Page 2 of 31.

Most famous athlete

Muhammad Ali

Highest historical popularity score (HPI 90.7)

Most common birth month

August

146 of 1,514 were born in August

Living vs deceased

1,357 / 157

90% are still living

Most common nationality

Japanese

233 people, 15% of the list

Editor-written profiles

81

5% have a full original profile so far

The ranked list (from #51)

  1. 51Alexander AlekhineAlexander AlekhineChess player who beat Capablanca in 1927 to become world champion and regained the title from Euwe in 1937.🇫🇷French · Born October 10, 1892 · Died March 24, 1946View profile
  2. 52Emanuel LaskerEmanuel LaskerChess player who held the world championship for 27 years, from 1894 until 1921.🇩🇪German · Born December 24, 1868 · Died January 11, 1941View profile
  3. 53Tenzing NorgayTenzing NorgaySherpa mountaineer who reached the summit of Everest with Edmund Hillary in 1953.Nepali · Born May 29, 1914 · Died May 9, 1986View profile
  4. 54JairzinhoJairzinhoBrazil forward who scored in every match of the 1970 World Cup, including the final.🇧🇷Brazilian · Born December 25, 1944View profile
  5. 55SócratesSócratesCaptained Brazil's gifted 1982 World Cup midfield while also qualifying as a doctor and leading Corinthians Democracy.🇧🇷Brazilian · Born February 9, 1954 · Died December 4, 2011View profile
  6. 56Kanō JigorōKanō JigorōFounded judo in 1882, creating the Kodokan school and later helping bring Japan into the Olympic movement.🇯🇵Japanese · Born December 10, 1860 · Died May 4, 1938View profile
  7. 57Hansi FlickHansi FlickCoach who led Bayern Munich to the Champions League and a sextuple of trophies in 2020, later taking charge of Barcelona.🇩🇪German · Born February 24, 1965View profile
  8. 58DidiDidiElegant midfielder who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1958 and 1962, and was named best player in 1958.🇧🇷Brazilian · Born October 8, 1928 · Died May 12, 2001View profile
  9. 59Lionel MessiLionel MessiForward who captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup and won a record eight Ballons d'Or.🇦🇷Argentine · Born June 24, 1987View profile
  10. 60RivelinoRivelinoLeft-footed playmaker who won the 1970 World Cup with Brazil and popularised the elastico dribble.🇧🇷Brazilian · Born January 1, 1946View profile
  11. 61Abebe BikilaAbebe BikilaMarathon runner who won Olympic gold in Rome in 1960 and defended the title in Tokyo in 1964.🇪🇹Ethiopian · Born August 7, 1932 · Died October 25, 1973View profile
  12. 62Jesse OwensJesse OwensSprinter and long jumper who took four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.🇺🇸American · Born September 12, 1913 · Died March 31, 1980View profile
  13. 63Guus HiddinkGuus HiddinkManager who led South Korea to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup on home soil.🇳🇱Dutch · Born November 8, 1946View profile
  14. 64Mikhail BotvinnikMikhail BotvinnikDominant Soviet grandmaster who won the world chess title in 1948 and twice regained it after losing it.🇷🇺Russian · Born August 17, 1911 · Died May 5, 1995View profile
  15. 65Reinhold MessnerReinhold MessnerClimber who first summited Everest without bottled oxygen and climbed all fourteen 8,000-metre peaks.🇮🇹Italian · Born September 17, 1944View profile
  16. 66Rafa BenítezRafa BenítezManager who won the 2005 Champions League with Liverpool and two La Liga titles with Valencia.🇪🇸Spanish · Born April 16, 1960View profile
  17. 67The UndertakerThe UndertakerWWE wrestler famed for his unbeaten WrestleMania streak, which Brock Lesnar ended at WrestleMania 30.🇺🇸American · Born March 24, 1965View profile
  18. 68Giovanni TrapattoniGiovanni TrapattoniCoach who won the 1985 European Cup with Juventus and league titles in four different countries.🇮🇹Italian · Born March 17, 1939View profile
  19. 69Raymond KopaRaymond KopaForward who won the 1958 Ballon d'Or and three European Cups with Real Madrid.🇫🇷French · Born October 13, 1931 · Died March 3, 2017View profile
  20. 70Marco van BastenMarco van BastenStriker who scored a famous volley in the Euro 1988 final and won three Ballon d'Or awards.🇳🇱Dutch · Born October 31, 1964View profile
  21. 71Rocky MarcianoRocky MarcianoHeavyweight champion who retired undefeated with a professional record of 49 wins and no losses.🇺🇸American · Born September 1, 1923 · Died August 31, 1969View profile
  22. 72Vicente del BosqueVicente del BosqueManaged Spain to the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 titles, after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid.🇪🇸Spanish · Born December 23, 1950View profile
  23. 73Nelson PiquetNelson PiquetWon three Formula One world championships, in 1981 and 1983 with Brabham and in 1987 with Williams.🇧🇷Brazilian · Born August 17, 1952View profile
  24. 74Anatoly KarpovAnatoly KarpovGrandmaster who held the world chess title from 1975 until losing to Garry Kasparov in 1985.🇷🇺Russian · Born May 23, 1951View profile
  25. 75Shaquille O'NealShaquille O'NealDominant NBA centre who won four championships, three of them with the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Kobe Bryant.🇺🇸American · Born March 6, 1972View profile
  26. 76Roberto CarlosRoberto CarlosLeft-back famed for his 1997 free kick against France and for winning the 2002 World Cup with Brazil.🇧🇷Brazilian · Born April 10, 1973View profile
  27. 77Just FontaineJust FontaineStriker whose thirteen goals at the 1958 World Cup remain an unbeaten tournament record.🇫🇷French · Born August 18, 1933 · Died February 28, 2023View profile
  28. 78Michael JordanMichael JordanShooting guard who won six NBA Finals MVP awards in leading the Chicago Bulls to titles.🇺🇸American · Born February 17, 1963View profile
  29. 79Tigran PetrosianTigran PetrosianWon the world chess championship by beating Mikhail Botvinnik in 1963 and held the title until 1969.🇷🇺Soviet · Born June 17, 1929 · Died August 13, 1984View profile
  30. 80Luiz Felipe ScolariLuiz Felipe ScolariManager who led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup and Portugal to the Euro 2004 final.🇧🇷Brazilian · Born November 9, 1948View profile
  31. 81Emerson FittipaldiEmerson FittipaldiBrazilian who won two Formula One world titles and two Indianapolis 500s.🇧🇷Brazilian · Born December 12, 1946View profile
  32. 82Roberto BaggioRoberto BaggioForward who won the 1993 Ballon d'Or and missed the decisive penalty in the 1994 World Cup final.🇮🇹Italian · Born February 18, 1967View profile
  33. 83Karl-Heinz RummeniggeKarl-Heinz RummeniggeBayern Munich striker who won the Ballon d'Or in 1980 and 1981, later chairing the club.🇩🇪German · Born September 25, 1955View profile
  34. 84Gunnar NordahlGunnar NordahlProlific AC Milan striker who topped the Serie A scoring charts five times and won Olympic gold in 1948.🇸🇪Swedish · Born October 19, 1921 · Died September 15, 1995View profile
  35. 85Johnny WeissmullerJohnny WeissmullerSwimmer who won five Olympic gold medals before playing Tarzan in a long run of Hollywood films.🇭🇺Hungarian · Born June 2, 1904 · Died January 20, 1984View profile
  36. 86Luís FigoLuís FigoWinger who made a controversial move from Barcelona to Real Madrid and won the 2000 Ballon d'Or.🇵🇹Portuguese · Born November 4, 1972View profile
  37. 87Björn BorgBjörn BorgTennis star who won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles from 1976 to 1980.🇸🇪Swedish · Born June 6, 1956View profile
  38. 88Morihei UeshibaMorihei UeshibaCreated the Japanese martial art of aikido and is revered by its practitioners as Ōsensei.🇯🇵Japanese · Born December 14, 1883 · Died April 26, 1969View profile
  39. 89Marcello LippiMarcello LippiManager who guided Italy to the 2006 World Cup and Juventus to the 1995–96 Champions League.🇮🇹Italian · Born April 12, 1948View profile
  40. 90Alberto AscariAlberto AscariItalian driver who won back-to-back Formula One titles with Ferrari in 1952 and 1953.🇮🇹Italian · Born July 13, 1918 · Died May 26, 1955View profile
  41. 91Giuseppe FarinaGiuseppe FarinaItalian driver who won the very first Formula One world championship in 1950 with Alfa Romeo.🇮🇹Italian · Born October 30, 1906 · Died June 30, 1966View profile
  42. 92Carlos Alberto TorresCarlos Alberto TorresBrazil captain who scored the memorable final goal against Italy in the 1970 World Cup final.🇧🇷Brazilian · Born July 17, 1944 · Died October 25, 2016View profile
  43. 93Paolo MaldiniPaolo MaldiniDefender who won five European Cups with AC Milan, spending his entire playing career there.🇮🇹Italian · Born June 26, 1968View profile
  44. 94RonaldinhoRonaldinhoDazzling playmaker who won the 2005 Ballon d'Or with Barcelona and the 2002 World Cup with Brazil.🇧🇷Brazilian · Born March 21, 1980View profile
  45. 95Lothar MatthäusLothar MatthäusCaptained West Germany to the 1990 World Cup and holds the record for most appearances at World Cup finals.🇩🇪German · Born March 21, 1961View profile
  46. 96Nadia ComăneciNadia ComăneciGymnast who scored the first perfect ten in Olympic history at the 1976 Montreal Games.🇷🇴Romanian · Born November 12, 1961View profile
  47. 97Max EuweMax EuweDutch chess master who defeated Alexander Alekhine in a 1935 match to become world champion.🇳🇱Dutch · Born May 20, 1901 · Died November 26, 1981View profile
  48. 98Jürgen KloppJürgen KloppManager who led Liverpool to the 2019 Champions League and the 2019–20 Premier League title.🇩🇪German · Born June 16, 1967View profile
  49. 99Garry KasparovGarry KasparovChess grandmaster who beat Anatoly Karpov to become the youngest undisputed world champion, and later lost to IBM's Deep Blue.🇷🇺Russian · Born April 13, 1963View profile
  50. 100Ruud GullitRuud GullitVersatile midfielder who captained the Netherlands to Euro 1988 and was named European Footballer of the Year in 1987.🇳🇱Dutch · Born September 1, 1962View profile

How we rank and select

  • Ranking: people are ordered by their Historical Popularity Index (HPI) from Pantheon. HPI combines how many Wikipedia language editions have an article about a person, how many page views those articles get, how evenly the views are spread across languages and how long ago the person lived. People Pantheon does not yet cover are listed after them, ordered by our own popularity score (the number of Wikipedia language editions with an article about them).
  • Membership: each person appears in one occupation list only, based on their primary occupation as classified by Pantheon (for example, a queen who wrote poetry is listed as royalty, not as a writer). Kings, queens, emperors, sultans and royal consorts are not listed as politicians or writers: anyone who held a monarch's office on Wikidata, and never served as a president or head of government, counts as royalty. For the few people Pantheon does not cover, we use the primary field recorded in our database.
  • One-line summaries: each summary is an original line written for this site with AI assistance under our editorial rules, then checked against the Wikipedia introduction so no wording is copied.
  • Statistics: every figure on this page is calculated live from our database each time the page loads, so it changes as we add people.

Further reading

Reviewed by the Who Shares My Birthday editorial team.

Last reviewed: October 2026

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