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ESPN staff
Seven British athletes cracked the ESPN Fame 100 (LINK HERE), which lists the most famous stars in world sport.
The rundown of active sportsmen and women is compiled by judging three criteria: an athlete’s social media following, their Google Trend score and the amount of money that they bring in through endorsement deals. For the fourth year running, Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo took the crown as the world’s most famous sporting icon.
But who makes it into the UK-only top 10? Here are the results:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1
Formula One star Hamilton celebrated storming to a fifth world championship in October by vowing to improve even more in 2019. He was never far from the spotlight off the track: He sparked controversy when he called his hometown Stevenage “the slums,” and rumors swirled of a relationship with Nicki Minaj.
“The unconditional love of a pet is something quite special.” — Lewis Hamilton on celebrating his fifth title with dogs Roscoe and Coco
2. Rory McIlroy, Golf
Blame it on the putter. Blame it on the small talk. Blame it on the fame? Rory McIlroy’s collapse at the 2018 Masters proved that no level of confidence or poularity can win majors. Headed into Sunday, McIlory let his mouth run amok. He might’ve been ready to “spoil the party” for Patrick Reed, but Reed got the last laugh when he walked away with the green jacket.
“I walked up to the first tee and had a really welcoming cheer from the fans, but then when Rory walked up to the tee, his cheer was a little louder.” — Reed after defeating McIlroy at the Masters
3. Gareth Bale, Football
Real Madrid were tied 1-1 with Liverpool in the Champions League final when Marcelo floated a cross into the box. Gareth Bale, trapped in Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow, leapt in the air with his back to goal 15 yards out. With a pristine overhead kick, he handed Real the lead and ultimately, their third Champions League title on the bounce. While this strike was overlooked for goal of the season, it will be remembered as his Real Madrid legacy.
“I want to know who is on the panel because they want to be sacked.” — Gareth Bale on being overlooked for goal of the season
4. Wayne Rooney, Football
In his final years in the Premier League, Wayne Rooney was not known for his pace. So imagine our surprise when, at 32, the Manchester United legend chased down an opponent in a dead sprint, made a heroic last-ditch tackle and sprayed a pinpoint 50-yard pass to set up a dramatic 96th-minute winner for DC United in August. Guess he didn’t come to MLS “to be on holiday” after all.
“Wayne Rooney is for me a once-in-a-generation player. There are many special players, but Rooney has exceptional qualuty and technical ability as well as being one of the strongest players I have faced, with an exceptional work rate — there is nobody like him.” — Lionel Messi
5. Andy Murray, Tennis
“I’ve been struggling for a long time,” Andy Murray said on the verge of tears at the 2019 Australian Open. After three Grand Slam wins and a long battle with a hip injury, the greatest British tennis player of the modern era announced that his first-round defeat at the Australian Open could be his last match, sparkling a wave of tributes from pros and fans alike.
“Congratulations, buddy. You’ve done Scotland proud, Britain proud. You’re a sir. Who can say that? Hardly anybody.” — Roger Federer
6. Anthony Joshua, Boxing
Two fights, two victories for the undefeated British heavyweight superstar in 2018. Joshua’s biggest moment came when he beat Joseph Parker on points back in March in Cardiff, and he followed that up with a seventh-round TKO of Alexander Povetkin, who troubled the Brit in the early stages at Wembley. But still there’s an itch that cannot be satisfied until a unification fight with American Deontay Wilder.
“Everyone knows what we need to do. I need to fight Deontay Wilder for the belt.” — Anthony Joshua
7. Harry Kane, Football
England’s captain led from the front at the World Cup, scoring a tournament-high six goals to win the prestigious Golden Boot. The World Cup didn’t come home for the Three Lions, but Kane proved he can perform on the biggest stage as he continues to break goalscoring records for his club Tottenham Hotspur.
“Not many people get to say they’ve won a Golden Boot at a World Cup.” — Harry Kane
8. Theo Walcott, Football
Still the youngest player to ever represent England, Walcott remains one of the UK’s most recognisable footballers despite a challenging 2018. The winger again missed out on England’s World Cup squad after making a £20 million switch from Arsenal to Everton, ending a 12-year stay at the club he joined aged 16.
“We speak about cup finals or Champions League games, or the local derbies, where he put in outstanding performances against Tottenham. I just regret what happened, but he didn’t play enough recently.” — Arsène Wenger
9. Dele Alli, Football
Alli is one part star midfielder, one part viral sensation. He was at the forefront of the wave of popular culture that swept across football in 2018, busting out the ‘Floss’ and the ‘Ride the Pony’ after scoring important goals for Tottenham and England. He also had everyone trying to recreate the ‘Dele Challenge’ hand gesture after scoring on the opening day of the Premier League season.
“My personality is that I like to express myself and that is not something I will look to change.” — Dele Alli.
10. Jamie Vardy, Football
He may have since announced his international retirement, but Jamie Vardy’s incredible journey from non-league football took another step as he made his World Cup debut for England in Russia. Vardy has also extended his contract at Leicester City until 2022, signalling his intent to see out the rest of his career at the club he will forever be associated with for that Premier League winning campaign.
“The journey that me, the team and the club have been on in the past few years has been incredible and it’s a great feeling to know that I can look forward to another four years as a Leicester City player.” — Jamie Vardy