EThere are stars in the very sport. Whether they’re still active or have decided to retire, the legacy of names like soccer’s Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and basketball’s Kobe Bryant and LeBron James is undisputed.
However, fans argue when they have to choose one of them as the best athlete. Well, the prestigious ranking may help sports enthusiasts make a decision.
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The best athletes of the 21st century
As next year marks the end of the first quarter of this century, Le Journal de Québec has announced the top 25 athletes and former athletes who have made a difference during this time.
The ranking of the best athletes of the 21st century includes figures from all sports, with soccer star and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi at the top of the list.
The Argentina national team captain just won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (he will defend the title if he decides to play in the 2026 tournament) and led Inter Miami to their first Major League Soccer championship on December 6th. Additionally, Leo won the Golden Boot award and back-to-back MVP awards and will remain at the club until 2028.
He has also won La Liga 10 times and the Champions League four times, and his career with Barcelona and PSG is nothing short of remarkable.
Meanwhile, in second place was NFL star and seven-time champion Tom Brady, and in third place was former swimmer Michael Phelps, who won 28 medals, the most medals in Olympic history. The list continues with Serena Williams, Usain Bolt and LeBron James.
And where is Leo’s eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo? Al Nasr’s captain dropped to 10th place. Ahead of him are Novak Djokovic, Simone Biles and Kobe Bryant.
The ranking includes sports legends such as driver Michael Schumacher and former tennis players Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer. Additionally, active players such as Stephen Curry (NBA), Lewis Hamilton (F1), and Patrick Mahomes (NFL) are also included in this prestigious list.
Complete list:
Lionel Messi (Soccer – Argentina) Tom Brady (NFL – USA) Michael Phelps (Swimming – USA) Serena Williams (Tennis – USA) Usain Bolt (Athletics – Jamaica) LeBron James (Basketball – USA) Novak Djokovic (Tennis – Serbia) Simone Biles (Gymnastics – USA) Kobe Bryant (Basketball – USA) Cristiano Ronaldo (Soccer – Portugal) Tiger Woods (Golf – USA) Roger Federer (Tennis-Switzerland) Rafael Nadal (Tennis-Spain) Stephen Curry (Basketball-USA) Lewis Hamilton (F1-Great Britain) Katie Ledecky (Swimming-USA) Floyd Mayweather (Boxing-USA) Sidney Crosby (Hockey-Canada) Mikal Kingsbury (Freestyle Skiing-Canada) Michael Schumacher (F1-Germany) Shohei Otani (Baseball-Japan) Mikaela Shiffrin (Ski-USA) Patrick Mahomes (NFL-USA) Alexander Ovechkin (Hockey-Russia) Marta Vieira da Silva (Soccer-Brazil)
