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ESPN releases world fame 100 list

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FOR the third consecutive year, ESPN released their World Fame 100 list by calculating athletes’ rankings based on internet searches, endorsement figures and social media followers.

Cristiano Ronaldo remains the world’s most famous sports star, edging out LeBron James and Lionel Messi in the standings.

While footballers are predictably dominant, the lack of NFL stars high in the list is perhaps a surprise, as Tom Brady tumbles 17 places to 38th.

Here are the top 25:

  1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Football) 
  2. Le Bron James (Basketball)
  3. Lionel Messi (Football)
  4. Neymar (Football)
  5. Roger Federer (Tennis) 
  6. Tiger Woods (Golf)
  7. Kevin Durant (Basketball)
  8. Rafael Nadal (Tennis)
  9. Stephen Curry (Basketball)
  10. Phil Mickelson (Golf)
  11. Virat Kohli (Cricket)
  12. Serena Williams (Tennis)
  13. Novak Djokovic (Tennis)
  14. Floyd Mayweather (Boxing) 
  15. Rory McIlroy (Golf)
  16. Jordan Spieth (Golf)
  17. Sun Yang (Swimming)
  18. Connor McGregor (MMA)
  19. Gareth Bale (Football)
  20. MS Dhoni (Cricket)
  21. Maria Sharapova (Tennis)
  22. Mesut Ozil (Football)
  23. James Rodriguez (Football)
  24. James Harden (Basketball)
  25. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Football)

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