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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 6 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 #251)

  1. 251Carles RexachCarles RexachBarcelona figure who signed a young Lionel Messi by agreeing terms on a paper napkin.🇪🇸Spanish · Born January 13, 1947View profile
  2. 252Bobby RobsonBobby RobsonManager who led England to the 1990 World Cup semi-final and won the UEFA Cup with Ipswich Town.🇬🇧British · Born February 18, 1933 · Died July 31, 2009View profile
  3. 253Grzegorz LatoGrzegorz LatoWinger who finished as top scorer at the 1974 World Cup, helping Poland to third place.🇵🇱Polish · Born April 8, 1950View profile
  4. 254Javier ZanettiJavier ZanettiLong-serving Inter Milan captain who led the club to the 2010 Champions League treble and holds its appearance record.🇦🇷Argentine · Born August 10, 1973View profile
  5. 255
    AK
    Akira KitaguchiJapanese footballer of the post-war generation who won international caps for his country's national side.🇯🇵Japanese · Born March 8, 1935View profile
  6. 256Stephen CurryStephen CurryGolden State Warriors guard who became the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers made and won four championships.🇺🇸American · Born March 14, 1988View profile
  7. 257
    TW
    Takeo WakabayashiPre-war footballer who represented the Japan national team in the 1930s.🇯🇵Japanese · Born August 29, 1907 · Died August 7, 1937View profile
  8. 258Jean-Pierre PapinJean-Pierre PapinProlific French striker who won the 1991 Ballon d'Or while playing for Olympique de Marseille.🇫🇷French · Born November 5, 1963View profile
  9. 259Carles PuyolCarles PuyolBarcelona captain and centre-back who headed the winner against Germany in the 2010 World Cup semi-final.🇪🇸Spanish · Born April 13, 1978View profile
  10. 260Sergio RamosSergio RamosCentre-back who scored a stoppage-time equaliser for Real Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final against Atlético.🇪🇸Spanish · Born March 30, 1986View profile
  11. 261Kazuyoshi MiuraKazuyoshi MiuraPioneering forward who became the first Japanese player in Serie A with Genoa and kept playing professionally for decades.🇯🇵Japanese · Born February 26, 1967View profile
  12. 262Judit PolgárJudit PolgárHungarian grandmaster who broke Bobby Fischer's record as the youngest ever grandmaster and is the strongest woman to play the game.🇭🇺Hungarian · Born July 23, 1976View profile
  13. 263Kenny DalglishKenny DalglishLiverpool forward and later manager who led Blackburn Rovers to the 1995 Premier League title.🇬🇧British · Born March 4, 1951View profile
  14. 264Hugo SánchezHugo SánchezForward who scored prolifically for Real Madrid and won the Pichichi top-scorer award five times.🇲🇽Mexican · Born July 11, 1958View profile
  15. 265Andrea PirloAndrea PirloDeep-lying playmaker who won the 2006 World Cup with Italy and the Champions League with Milan.🇮🇹Italian · Born May 19, 1979View profile
  16. 266José Luis ChilavertJosé Luis ChilavertParaguayan goalkeeper famous for scoring goals from free kicks and penalties, and for Vélez Sarsfield's 1994 Copa Libertadores win.Paraguayan · Born July 27, 1965View profile
  17. 267Maurizio SarriMaurizio SarriFormer banker turned manager who won the 2018–19 Europa League with Chelsea.🇮🇹Italian · Born January 10, 1959View profile
  18. 268Kevin De BruyneKevin De BruyneCreative midfielder who won six Premier League titles with Manchester City and helped them win the 2023 Champions League.🇧🇪Belgian · Born June 28, 1991View profile
  19. 269Kylian MbappéKylian MbappéForward who helped France win the 2018 World Cup and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final.🇫🇷French · Born December 20, 1998View profile
  20. 270Claude MakeléléClaude MakeléléDefensive midfielder at Real Madrid and Chelsea whose screening role led to a holding position being named after him.Congolese · Born February 18, 1973View profile
  21. 271Bill RussellBill RussellCentre who won eleven NBA championships with the Boston Celtics, a record for any player.🇺🇸American · Born February 12, 1934 · Died July 31, 2022View profile
  22. 272Salvatore SchillaciSalvatore SchillaciStriker who won the Golden Boot at the 1990 World Cup with six goals for Italy.🇮🇹Italian · Born December 1, 1964 · Died September 18, 2024View profile
  23. 273
    YO
    Yoshio OkadaFootballer who represented the Japan national team during the early post-war era.🇯🇵Japanese · Born August 11, 1926 · Died June 22, 2002View profile
  24. 274
    TT
    Tadao TakayamaEarly Japanese footballer who earned international caps for the national team before the Second World War.🇯🇵Japanese · Born June 24, 1904 · Died July 1, 1980View profile
  25. 275Damon HillDamon HillRacing driver who won the 1996 Formula One World Championship with Williams, following in the footsteps of his father Graham.🇬🇧British · Born September 17, 1960View profile
  26. 276Boris BeckerBoris BeckerWon Wimbledon as an unseeded teenager in 1985, becoming the tournament's youngest men's singles champion.🇩🇪German · Born November 22, 1967View profile
  27. 277Vitali KlitschkoVitali KlitschkoHeavyweight boxer who held the WBC world title before moving into politics and leading Ukraine's capital as its mayor.🇷🇺Soviet · Born July 19, 1971View profile
  28. 278Samuel Eto'oSamuel Eto'oStriker who won the Champions League with Barcelona and Inter Milan and four African Player of the Year awards.Cameroonian · Born March 10, 1981View profile
  29. 279Kevin KeeganKevin KeeganWon the Ballon d'Or in both 1978 and 1979 while playing for Hamburg, after success at Liverpool.🇬🇧British · Born February 14, 1951 · Died July 20, 2026View profile
  30. 280Andrés IniestaAndrés IniestaMidfielder who scored the extra-time winner for Spain in the 2010 World Cup final.🇪🇸Spanish · Born May 11, 1984View profile
  31. 281Carl LewisCarl LewisSprinter and long jumper who won nine Olympic gold medals, including four at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.🇺🇸American · Born July 1, 1961View profile
  32. 282Floyd MayweatherFloyd MayweatherBoxer who retired unbeaten with a 50-0 record and won world titles across five weight divisions.🇺🇸American · Born February 24, 1977View profile
  33. 283John McEnroeJohn McEnroeTennis player who won seven Grand Slam singles titles, including three at Wimbledon and four at the US Open.🇺🇸American · Born February 16, 1959View profile
  34. 284David RobinsonDavid RobinsonWon two NBA titles with the San Antonio Spurs and was named the league's Most Valuable Player in 1995.🇺🇸American · Born August 6, 1965View profile
  35. 285Magic JohnsonMagic JohnsonPoint guard who won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and played for the 1992 Dream Team.🇺🇸American · Born August 14, 1959View profile
  36. 286
    MT
    Megumu TamuraFormer Japan national team footballer, remembered as an early postwar international.🇯🇵Japanese · Born January 10, 1927 · Died October 8, 1986View profile
  37. 287Daniel AlvesDaniel AlvesRight-back who won three Champions League titles with Barcelona and the 2019 Copa América with Brazil.🇧🇷Brazilian · Born May 6, 1983View profile
  38. 288
    KT
    Ko TakamoroEarly Japan international footballer from the pre-war era.🇯🇵Japanese · Born November 9, 1907 · Died March 26, 1995View profile
  39. 289Chris EvertChris EvertAmerican player who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, including seven at the French Open.🇺🇸American · Born December 21, 1954View profile
  40. 290Emilio ButragueñoEmilio ButragueñoElegant Real Madrid forward nicknamed El Buitre, central to the side that won five consecutive La Liga titles in the late 1980s.🇪🇸Spanish · Born July 22, 1963View profile
  41. 291Usain BoltUsain BoltSprinter who holds the 100m world record of 9.58 seconds and won eight Olympic gold medals.🇯🇲Jamaican · Born August 21, 1986View profile
  42. 292Son Heung-minSon Heung-minTottenham forward who shared the 2021-22 Premier League Golden Boot and later captained the club.🇰🇷South Korean · Born July 8, 1992View profile
  43. 293Arthur AsheArthur AsheWon the 1975 Wimbledon men's singles title, beating Jimmy Connors in the final, after winning the 1968 US Open.🇺🇸American · Born July 10, 1943 · Died February 6, 1993View profile
  44. 294Conor McGregorConor McGregorFighter who became the UFC's first simultaneous champion in two divisions, adding the lightweight belt to his featherweight title in 2016.🇮🇪Irish · Born July 14, 1988View profile
  45. 295Harry KaneHarry KaneEngland captain and record international goalscorer who also became Tottenham's all-time top scorer before moving to Bayern Munich.🇬🇧British · Born July 28, 1993View profile
  46. 296Andoni ZubizarretaAndoni ZubizarretaGoalkeeper who won the 1992 European Cup with Barcelona and earned 126 caps for Spain.🇪🇸Spanish · Born October 23, 1961View profile
  47. 297Jackie RobinsonJackie RobinsonBaseball player who broke Major League Baseball's colour line when he started for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.🇺🇸American · Born January 31, 1919 · Died October 24, 1972View profile
  48. 298Edgar DavidsEdgar DavidsGlasses-wearing midfielder nicknamed the Pitbull, who won the 1995 Champions League with Ajax.🇳🇱Dutch · Born March 13, 1973View profile
  49. 299Peter ShiltonPeter ShiltonGoalkeeper who holds England's appearance record with 125 caps and played more than 1,000 league matches.🇬🇧British · Born September 18, 1949View profile
  50. 300Dragan StojkovićDragan StojkovićElegant playmaker who starred for Red Star Belgrade and Nagoya Grampus, later coaching Serbia at the 2022 World Cup.🇷🇸Serbian · Born March 3, 1965View 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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