This year's ESPN World Fame 100 identifies the most famous athletes on the planet. Cristiano Ronaldo takes the lead, with LeBron James and Lionel Messi rounding out the top three.
Within the Indian sports contingent, eight cricket stars were recognized, including team leader Virat Kohli and former captain MS Dhoni.
Although cricket isn't played worldwide, Virat Kohli's immense popularity has secured him a place in the top 10 of ESPN's World Fame 100. This list highlights the most celebrated athletes across all sports, currently topped by Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo, followed by NBA star LeBron James and Barcelona's Lionel Messi.
Virat Kohli holds the 7th spot, distinguishing himself as the only Indian athlete in the top 10, while Dhoni sits at 13th. Other cricketers making the list include Yuvraj Singh (18), Suresh Raina (22), Ravichandran Ashwin (42), Rohit Sharma (46), Harbhajan Singh (74), Mushfiqur Rahim (92), Shikhar Dhawan (94), Mashrafe Mortaza (98), and Shakib Al Hasan (99). Most of these names appeared in the 2018 rankings as well, though AB de Villiers and Gautam Gambhir, who were present last year, failed to make the list this time.
To the extent the rundown of cricketers is Fame 100 is concerned, Kohli is joined by MS Dhoni (13), Yuvraj Singh (18), Suresh Raina (22), Rohit Sharma (46), Harbhajan Singh (74), Ravichandran Ashwin (42), Mushfiqur Rahim (92), Shikhar Dhawan (94), Mashrafe Mortaza (98) and Shakib Al Hasan (99). Indeed, every one of them was likewise there in 2018. Stomach muscle de Villiers and Gautam Gambhir were a piece of the rundown a year ago yet couldn’t get through this time around.
This marks the first time Kohli has broken into the top 10, moving up from 11th place last year. Despite not playing every format for the national team, Dhoni still holds a strong 13th position. Additionally, Yuvraj Singh remains at 18th, even though he is no longer active in international cricket.
The rankings are determined by analyzing search scores, social media following, and overall endorsements. The top three—Ronaldo, James, and Messi—remain untouched and unchanged from the previous year. However, Kohli saw a significant jump, climbing from 11th to 7th place.
The list features only three women: Serena Williams (17), Maria Sharapova (37), and Sania Mirza (93), with Mirza being the only Indian woman to be recognized.
The top 10 athletes are: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lebron James, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Conor McGregor, Roger Federer, Virat Kohli, Rafael Nadal, Stephen Curry, and Tiger Woods.