The greatest athletes of all time: a list of the most dominant, iconic, famous players in the history of sports. This list gathers sports stars from across every professional league, as well as amateur athletes who may have never competed professionally, in one overall list. Though it may be challenging to compare performance in a variety of different competitive arenas requiring different skill sets, this list nevertheless attempts to distinguish the top, highest-performing and most successful athletes ever to play. The sports stars that rise to the top can be considered to be the best athletes of all time.
Aspects to consider in picking a best athlete of all time would include, obviously, that player's raw talent and born ability. Some individuals seem to prodigally gifted in their sport of choice, and it's hard to discount the importance of this kind of natural talent. However, it's also important to evaluate hard work, discipline and a commitment to the game. Some athletes may not have the natural, genetic ability to dunk a basketball or hit a home run, but nonetheless have trained to the point of reaching these goals all the same. (They may not be the greatest athlete of all time at all sports, but they have mastered their activity.)
Finally, it can be a challenge to compare an athlete who competed in a solo competition with a member of a well known sports organization or club. How do you look at the achievements of, say, a boxer like Muhammad Ali alongside an athlete like Michael Jordan, who had to not only perform to his own best abilities but work as a cohesive unit along with other members of his team? These are the questions that must be answered when compiling a list of the world's greatest all-time athletes.
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45,58129,444Muhammad Ali
Louisville, KentuckyMuhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an... more2
23,69019,162Lorenzo Bernardi
Trento, ItalyLorenzo Bernardi (born August 11, 1968) is a former Italian volleyball player and coach,... more3
25,04116,309Carl Lewis
Birmingham, AlabamaFrederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is an American former track and field... more4
33,91125,626Usain Bolt
Sherwood Content, JamaicaUsain St Leo Bolt (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter. He is a world... more5
33,20325,719Roger Federer
Basel, Switzerland← Roger Federer (German pronunciation: [ˈrɔdʒər ˈfeːdərər]; born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss... more6
50,72628,367Michael Jordan
New York City, New YorkMichael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American... more7
17,51015,374Alexander Karelin
Novosibirsk, RussiaAleksandr Aleksandrovich Karelin (Russian: Александр Александрович Карелин; born 19 September... more8
40,71225,592Michael Phelps
Towson, BaltimoreMichael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is an American retired competitive swimmer and the... more9
23,53514,200Diego Maradona
Lanús, ArgentinaDiego Armando Maradona (30 October 1960 – 25 November 2020) was an Argentine retired... more10
42,58331,214LeBron James
Akron, OhioLeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball... more11
29,36825,881Pelé
Três Corações, BrazilEdson Arantes do Nascimento, KBE (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈɛtsõ (w)ɐˈɾɐ̃tʃiz du nɐsiˈmẽtu];... more12
16,87814,856Paavo Nurmi
Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian EmpirePaavo Johannes Nurmi (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈpɑːʋo ˈnurmi] (listen); 13 June 1897 – 2... more13
18,18314,777Ayrton Senna da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese: [aˈiʁtõ ˈsẽnɐ dɐ ˈsiwvɐ] (listen); 21 March 1960... more14
36,95825,275Babe Ruth
Pigtown, BaltimoreGeorge Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American... more15
42,94227,373Lionel Messi
Rosario, ArgentinaLionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾez ˈmesi] (listen); born... more16
15,97814,089Franz Beckenbauer
Munich, GermanyFranz Anton Beckenbauer (pronounced [ˈfʁants ˈbɛkn̩ˌbaʊɐ]; born 11 September 1945) is a German... more17
18,68616,515Steffi Graf
Mannheim, GermanyStefanie Maria "Steffi" Graf (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtɛfiː ˈɡʁaːf]; born 14 June 1969) is a... more18
15,91714,058Björn Borg
Stockholm, SwedenBjörn Rune Borg (Swedish pronunciation: [bjœːɳ bɔrj] (listen); born 6 June 1956) is a Swedish... more19
16,60314,675Paula Radcliffe
Davenham, United KingdomPaula Jane Radcliffe, MBE (born 17 December 1973) is a British long-distance runner. She is a... more20
16,32113,480Janica Kostelić
Zagreb, CroatiaJanica Kostelić (Croatian pronunciation: [janitsa kǒstelitɕ]; born 5 January 1982) is a former... more21
19,35015,122Larry Bird
West Baden Springs, French Lick TownshipLarry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player,... more22
17,21515,172Blanka Vlašić
Split, CroatiaBlanka Vlašić (Croatian pronunciation: [ˈblaːŋka ˈʋlaʃitɕ]; born 8 November 1983) is a... more23
16,28814,395Maria Sharapova
Nyagan, RussiaMaria Yuryevna Sharapova (Russian: Мари́я Ю́рьевна Шара́пова, IPA: [mɐˈrʲijə ˈjʉrʲjɪvnə... more24
15,38613,584Chris Evert
Fort Lauderdale, FloridaChristine Marie Evert (born December 21, 1954), known as Chris Evert Lloyd from 1979 to 1987,... more25
18,07815,975Nadia Comăneci
Onești, RomaniaNadia Elena Comăneci (UK: , US: , Romanian: [ˈnadi.a koməˈnetʃʲ] (listen); born 12 November... more
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