Messi Highest Ranked Footballer In Top 100 Athletes Of 21st Century

On the list, Messi ranked third behind second-placed tennis icon, Serena Williams, and first-placed swimmer Michael Phelps.

Interestingly, the most followed human being on social media, Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t make the top ten. He was ranked 13th in the top 100 athletes of the 21st century list.

Hence, among the footballers that made the list, Ronaldo is second to Messi, Brazil’s Marta who is ranked 32nd is the highest-ranked women’s footballer on the list and the third-best-ranked soccer star.

France and Arsenal’s icon, Thierry Henry is ranked 48th, Barcelona women’s star Aitana Bonmati is ranked 49th, Zinedine Zidane is ranked 50th, and Luka Modric is ranked 55th.

Other Footballers that made the top 100 athletes of the 21st-century list are Barcelona’s women’s star Alexia Putellas ranked 56th, Mia Hamm of USWNT ranked 64th, Kylian Mbappé ranked 65th, Andrés Iniesta ranked 70th, Xavi Hernandez ranked 75th, Ronaldo Nazário ranked 87th, Ronaldinho ranked 94th, and Zlatan Ibrahimović ranked 95th.