ESPN Names Top 100 Athletes Since 2000: Heavy U.S. Presence Sparks Debate

ESPN has released its list of the Top 100 Athletes of the 21st Century, recognizing global sports icons for their performances since the year 2000. The rankings highlight achievements across multiple sports, with a strong emphasis on American athletes.

Swimming legend Michael Phelps tops the list at #1, followed by Serena Williams in second and Lionel Messi in third. LeBron James ranks #4, and gymnast Simone Biles comes in at #7.

Seven of the top ten athletes are from the United States, including Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, and Simone Biles. The top 10 also features global stars like Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Basketball dominates the list with 24 athletes, followed by baseball with 17, soccer with 15, and American football with 12. Other sports featured include tennis, golf, boxing, auto racing, swimming, gymnastics, MMA, and cricket.

The only Indian athlete on the list is Virat Kohli, ranked at #97. Kohli, a World Cup-winning cricketer and one of the most successful batters of his generation, is the sole representative from South Asia.

In terms of nationality, the United States leads by a wide margin with 56 athletes. Spain has five, while Canada and the Dominican Republic each have four athletes on the list. Other nations represented include Brazil, Japan, Germany, Jamaica, Sweden, Serbia, and more.

The ranking has sparked discussions online about regional balance in global sports recognition. Critics point out the heavy focus on North American athletes, while many other regions are underrepresented.

ESPN’s Top 100 Athletes of the 21st Century

1. Michael Phelps (Swimming)
2. Serena Williams (Tennis)
3. Lionel Messi (Soccer)
4. LeBron James (Basketball)
5. Tom Brady (American Football)
6. Roger Federer (Tennis)
7. Simone Biles (Gymnastics)
8. Tiger Woods (Golf)
9. Usain Bolt (Track & Field)
10. Kobe Bryant (Basketball)
11. Novak Djokovic (Tennis)
12. Cristiano Ronaldo (Soccer)
13. Katie Ledecky (Swimming)
14. Rafael Nadal (Tennis)
15. Lewis Hamilton (Formula 1 Racing)
16. Sidney Crosby (Hockey)
17. Kevin Durant (Basketball)
18. Steph Curry (Basketball)
19. Abby Wambach (Soccer)
20. Floyd Mayweather (Boxing)
21. Lauren Jackson (Basketball)
22. Alex Ovechkin (Hockey)
23. Aaron Rodgers (American Football)
24. Marta (Soccer)
25. Ichiro Suzuki (Baseball)
26. Peyton Manning (American Football)
27. Megan Rapinoe (Soccer)
28. Manny Pacquiao (Boxing)
29. Mariano Rivera (Baseball)
30. Miroslav Klose (Soccer)
31. Tim Duncan (Basketball)
32. Canelo Alvarez (Boxing)
33. Steve Redgrave (Rowing)
34. Eliud Kipchoge (Marathon/Track & Field)
35. Aly Raisman (Gymnastics)
36. Henrik Lundqvist (Hockey)
37. Cristiano Lucarelli (Soccer)
38. Megan Hodge (Volleyball)
39. Yuzuru Hanyu (Figure Skating)
40. Ronnie O’Sullivan (Snooker)
41. Andy Murray (Tennis)
42. Chris Froome (Cycling)
43. Kenenisa Bekele (Track & Field)
44. Magnus Carlsen (Chess)
45. Katie Taylor (Boxing)
46. Damian Lillard (Basketball)
47. Nate Diaz (MMA)
48. Nate Robinson (Basketball)
49. Uta Abe (Judo)
50. Caeleb Dressel (Swimming)
51. Dan Carter (Rugby Union)
52. Drew Brees (American Football)
53. Dirk Nowitzki (Basketball)
54. Nathan Lyon (Cricket)
55. Marcel Hirscher (Alpine Skiing)
56. Zlatan Ibrahimović (Soccer)
57. Aly Raisman (Gymnastics)
58. Erling Haaland (Soccer)
59. Danica Patrick (Auto Racing)
60. Dustin Johnson (Golf)
61. Megan Hodge (Volleyball)
62. Abby Wambach (Soccer)
63. Kylian Mbappé (Soccer)
64. Clarisse Agbegnenou (Judo)
65. Conor McGregor (MMA)
66. Jenson Button (Formula 1 Racing)
67. Ian Thorpe (Swimming)
68. Sanya Richards-Ross (Track & Field)
69. Angelique Kerber (Tennis)
70. Jordan Larson (Volleyball)
71. Virat Kohli (Cricket)
72. Caster Semenya (Track & Field)
73. Adam Scott (Golf)
74. Homare Sawa (Soccer)
75. Sky Brown (Skateboarding)
76. Hope Solo (Soccer)
77. Steve Smith (Cricket)
78. Renaud Lavillenie (Pole Vault)
79. Jan Frodeno (Triathlon)
80. Therese Johaug (Cross-Country Skiing)
81. Fernando Alonso (Formula 1 Racing)
82. Javier Sotomayor (High Jump)
83. Leisel Jones (Swimming)
84. Tatyana McFadden (Paralympic Track & Field)
85. Sun Yang (Swimming)
86. Leslie Jones (Track & Field)
87. Shaun White (Snowboarding/Skateboarding)
88. Jeanette Kwakye (Track & Field)
89. Stipe Miocic (MMA)
90. Maggie Steffens (Water Polo)
91. Sania Mirza (Tennis)
92. Genzebe Dibaba (Track & Field)
93. Angel Di Maria (Soccer)
94. Isabell Werth (Equestrian)
95. Francis Ngannou (MMA)
96. Kim Clijsters (Tennis)
97. Pau Gasol (Basketball)
98. Nino Schurter (Mountain Biking)
99. Lisa Leslie (Basketball)
100. Carli Lloyd (Soccer)

Looking Ahead to 2050

ESPN also mentioned possible future greats for a 2050 list, highlighting rising stars like Carlos Alcaraz (Tennis), Caitlin Clark (WNBA), Endrick (Soccer), Kimi Antonelli (Auto Racing), and Linda Caicedo (Soccer).