ESPN The Magazine has created a proprietary formula to rank the most popular athletes around the globe. The Sports Analytics team at the company ranked 800 athletes using three factors that can influence fame: Google Trend Score, endorsement dollars and social network followers. Peter Keating is a senior writer and explores the reasons why being famous does not necessarily mean you are successful or liked. This list of the 100 most successful athletes worldwide will help you make an educated decision about your favorite sportsman.
Canelo
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is among the highest-paid athletes in the world. DAZN offered him a five-year, $365 Million contract. His contract was the longest in sports history. Alvarez, 28 years of age, has won five champions, with three of them by knockout. Additionally, Alvarez is the highest-paid Mexican wrestler and has been awarded the WBA "regular' super middleweight title.
Ledecky
American swimmer Katie Ledecky set the gold standard for female swimming, and is widely considered to be the greatest female swimmer of all time. She has competed on the world stage for almost a decade, winning a record 15 gold medals in the process. In addition to her Olympic golds, Ledecky holds five world records and has won five World Championships. She is also an Olympic gold medalist and will compete in the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
In the year 2019, Giannis Antetokounmpe has become famous as a basketball player. He has also launched a basketball academy in his hometown of Athens, Greece. AntetokounBros was established to provide basketball opportunities for children who are not in the most fortunate. The program targets children between 12 and 16 years of age, and young athletes who want to become coaches.
Rapinoe
Megan Rapinoe, a well-known athlete in the world, is not just for her remarkable sporting career. Megan Rapinoe is also well-known for her activism, particularly in the fight for equal wages and racial justice. Rapinoe has been the topic of many articles, including one in The New York Times that examined the impact on the CARES Act. Below are just some of her achievements for 2019.
Biles
Simone Biles returned to the scene after a short post-Olympic hiatus. She hired Laurent and Cecile as her coaches to keep her attention and eliminated her competitors. Although it is not yet known how her new relationship will turn out, it's exciting to watch her grow. Biles also said that she'll work with Val Kondos Field (ex-UCLA coach) as an executive producer, and as a supervising choreographer. She will also use video screens, lighting effects, and an in house DJ.