One of the most common debates in the world of sport is who is the greatest athlete of all time. It’s an almost impossible list to determine, with so many factors coming into consideration. Accolades in their respective sports, social media presence, and general persona are some of the key factors that we use to rank athletes, but TheTopTen use fans to rank theirs.

Ranking athletes is not their only list, however, as they also have tier lists for animals, books, and even quirky lists such as, ‘things we learned in school that are now useless.’ That's probably quite a long list... apologies if any teachers are reading this!

Today, we're not just going to look into the top 15 athletes of all time, oh no, we're actually going to look into the top 15 most popular athletes of all time, according to the fans. They may not be the greatest, but they are loved, so without further ado, let's get into the list!

15 Cristiano Ronaldo

Some football fanatics will cringe at the sight of Ronaldo being so far down this list. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, three-time Best FIFA Men’s Player, and three-time UEFA Men’s Player of the Year has won every trophy in the game except the World Cup and has amassed 1,172 games for club and country and scored an obscene 841 goals. He has achieved greatness in his respective sport, but has also dominated social media, obtaining the most followers on Instagram with 601 million. Truly one of the best to ever do it and at the age of 38, he is still playing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

14 Muhammad Ali

The greatest heavyweight to ever do it? Mike Tyson and Tyson Fury may debate that, but the talent, drive, and determination that Muhammad Ali offers in the ring is in tandem with his efforts outside it. In 2012, the eight-time heavyweight champion of the world was handed the Liberty Medal which honours an individual's leadership in the pursuit of freedom. Ali was one of the main driving forces for change in humanitarian causes, civil rights, and religious freedom and was recognised as the ‘Champion of Freedom’. An elite striker and a pioneer for the sport of boxing, but also a hugely influential figure in shaping the world in which we live today.

13 Serena Williams

The greatest female tennis player to do it bar none. Now retired, Williams can look back on her time in the sport of tennis with huge admiration given the sheer dominance she imposed on the women’s game. The Women’s Tennis Association had her ranked World No.1 in singles on eight separate occasions between 2008 and 2017, first reaching the top spot in 2002 when she was just 21. Williams has won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other player, male or female, with 23 to her name and on top of that has won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Venus. Oh, and she won three doubles gold medals at the Olympics.

12 Usain Bolt

Literally, the fastest man on the planet and not a bad footballer either as we’ve come to learn through his performances at Soccer Aid. How can you sum up Bolt’s dominance in track and field? He is an eight-time Olympic Gold medallist, a two-time 4 x 100 relay gold medallist, only sprinter to win Olympic 100m and 200m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012, and 2016), and of course, is the current world record holder for the 100m sprint with an astonishing time of 9.58 seconds which he achieved in 2009. Some people don’t even get out of bed in the morning that quickly.

11 Tom Brady

Brady’s list of accomplishments, individual awards, and moments is genuinely the length of a scroll, so let’s try sum it up as neatly as possible. Having initially struggled in his early days after spending two years as a backup at the University of Michigan and being the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, Brady has gone on to play in more Super Bowls than any other player in the NFL’s history - winning seven. That means he’s won more Super Bowls than any other player and any single NFL franchise. Now retired, he is now a minority owner of Birmingham City Football Club.

10 LeBron James

Whenever any basketball newbie goes to shoot a hoop, one of the names that is screamed is ‘LeBron’. Similar to how football fans roar ‘Gerrard’ or ‘Rooney’ when lining up a cannon from outside the box. The NBA’s leading all-time scorer and the only player to record over 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists is most notably regarded for his unbelievable carry while at the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007. James scored a career playoff-high of 48 points to carry his team to within one game of the NBA finals for the first time with a 109-107 double-overtime win over the Detroit Pistons. They were comprehensively beaten by the San Antonio Spurs in the finals, but LeBron would go on to win four, featuring in 10. At the age of 38, he still plays with the LA Lakers.

9 Sir Donald Bradman

If Australia had this guy around today, they would be an unstoppable force. In international Test cricket, Bradman has scored a stunning 6,996 runs for his nation and set an indomitable record with an average of 99.94 runs per match. This record remains the benchmark to this very day. He also proved to be a scourge for England, hitting 19 centuries against them between 1928 and 1948. He received an OBE for his conquering of the cricket world and is still fondly remembered as one of the best, if not the best to do it.

8 Wayne Gretzky

Gretzky’s time spent in hockey lasted 20 seasons in which he played for four teams during the period of 1979 to 1999. Dubbed the best ever to step foot on the ice, Gretzky holds that many records in the NHL we can’t write them all down. 61 to be precise. Some of the most notable are a single-season haul of 92 goals, a point streak of 51 games, and an astonishing 894 career goals and 2,857 career points. On top of this, Gretzky has won four Stanley Cups.

7 Lionel Messi

Similar to Ronaldo, a lot of football fans will be furious at Messi being ranked just seventh given his accomplishments in football and the sheer weight his name holds. Who doesn’t know the name Lionel Messi? A seven-time Ballon d’Or winner with Barcelona and 12-time league title winner with the Spanish giants and PSG, Messi has won it all. His leading role in Argentina’s recent World Cup triumph in Qatar has arguably edged him ahead of Ronaldo and emulated the achievements of the great Diego Maradona. With 1,032 games under his belt and just the 814 goals, Messi now flexes his talents in America with Inter Miami - recently winning the Leagues Cup and scoring 10 times in just seven games.

6 Roger Federer

Federer remains the only tennis player, male or female, to win five consecutive titles at the US Open and has won a record 71 hard court titles. He is also the first male player to win 20 Grand Slam titles and the only player to win two Grand Slams five consecutive times. His accolades are truly bonkers and his fitting farewell to the sport of tennis where he played Rafael Nadal in the Laver Cup illuminated the magnitude of his career. The Swiss great even had Nadal in tears, with the pair sharing the court countless times together. His retirement has left a huge gaping void in the world of tennis.

5 Larry Bird

If you listen to American rap and aren’t familiar with Larry Bird, you may have heard his name referenced a million times by certain rappers. The guy is a cult hero even though he retired from basketball back in 1992. Bird became the first player in NBA history to shoot 50% or better on field goals, 40% on three-pointers, and 90% on free throws in a single NBA season. As ludicrous as all that sounds, it becomes even more silly when you learn that Bird has achieved that feat twice.

4 Babe Ruth

Ruth’s performances in the field of baseball will be remembered for all the numbers and accolades he amassed, but the symbolic nature of Ruth is what made him such a legend. He became indicative of America’s power during the 1920s through his dominance in baseball. During his tenure, Ruth was one of only two players to hit three home runs in a World Series Game. He is also a four-time World Series champion followed by 714 career home runs. Remembered for his leadership qualities while at the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, Ruth is undoubtedly the greatest baseball player of all time, and we may never see anyone like him again.

3 Pelé

Many people speculate about Pelé’s time in football and whether his statistics are accurate. In 2015, Pelé posted a tweet that stated he had scored 1,283 goals during his illustrious career. Many people debate that, but what they can't argue with is his pioneering influence on the game of football. Much of the skills, tricks, and dribbles you see on display from some of the world’s top talents today were invented by Pelé. Just look at his highlights. He set the benchmark and laid down the blueprint for future generations to follow. And whatever about his goal tally, try arguing with his record of three World Cups.

2 Michael Jordan

If you aren’t familiar with the career of Michael Jordan, just have a watch of the documentary ‘The Last Dance’. A quick spoiler is that this guy was so good, he took a few months out to try his luck at baseball. The six-time NBA champion, six-time MVP, and 14-time NBA All-Star is often the name most associated with the GOAT in basketball. Most often compared with James, Jordan is actually statistically better than him, averaging three more points per game and having a much bigger trophy cabinet. His best moment undoubtedly came during the final year of the prominent Chicago Bulls team. The Bulls led the Utah Jazz 3-2 in the series, and Game 6 was being played in Utah. With 5.2 seconds remaining, Jordan rewarded Chicago fans with one final game-winning shot to make the Bulls six-time NBA Champions.

1 Diego Maradona

This one is up for debate, but making a case for Maradona being the most popular athlete of all time is not that hard. His goal scoring tally doesn’t come close to the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, and Pelé, with just 338 goals in little more than 600 games, but if we incorporate the traditional ‘eye test’, Maradona reigns supreme. His skills, dribbling prowess, and ability to alter a game in an instant is what makes him so great. His solo goal against England in the 1986 World Cup is a prime example. The four-time Argentinian Footballer of the Year, two-time Scudetto winner with Napoli, and a World Cup winner with Argentina is more added substance to the argument. Just look how adored he is in Naples and in Argentina. He is one VERY popular athlete!