ESPN The Magazine has ranked the world's most popular athletes based on a proprietary formula. The Sports Analytics team from the company ranked 800 athletes on the basis of three factors that have an impact on fame: Google trend score and endorsement dollars. Peter Keating, a senior writer, explores why being famous doesn't necessarily mean being popular or loved. 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 one of the best-paid athletes on the planet. DAZN offered him a five-year, $365 Million contract. His deal was the largest ever signed in sports history. Alvarez (28 years old) has won five championships. Three of them were by knockout. He is also the highest-paid Mexican athlete, and he won the WBA "regular” super middleweight title.
Ledecky
The American swimmer, Katie Ledecky, has set the gold standard for female swimming and is arguably the best female athlete of all time. She has competed on the world stage for almost a decade, winning a record 15 gold medals in the process. Ledecky is also a world record holder and has won five World Championships. She is also an Olympic gold-medallist and will compete in Tokyo 2020 Games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antitookounmpe, a professional basketball player, has made a name for himself in 2019. In his native Athens, Greece, he also started a basketball academy. AntetokounBros is a basketball academy that helps underprivileged children. The program targets boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 16, as well as young athletes who are interested in becoming coaches.
Rapinoe
Megan Rapinoe may be the most well-known and respected athlete in the world. Megan Rapinoe is also well-known for her activism, particularly in the fight for equal wages and racial justice. In fact, Rapinoe has been the subject of several articles, including a recent one in The New York Times about the impact of the CARES Act. These are just a few examples of her achievements in 2019
Biles
Simone Biles came back to the sport after a brief post-Olympic absence. She enlisted Laurent and Cecile Landi as coaches and removed her rivals to keep her in the spotlight. Although it is not yet known how her new relationship will turn out, it's exciting to watch her grow. Biles also confirmed that she will be working with Val Kondos Field, former UCLA coach, as executive producer/supervising choreographer. Video screens, pyrotechnics will be used, as well an in-house dancer.