[Other Sport] Who Is The Most Famous Sportsman In The World?

Weststander · Feb 11, 2020

Ali.

An incredible sportsman for the best part of 2 decades (in 2 golden eras of heavyweight boxers), an outspoken hero on civil rights, selfless in his stand against the Vietnam War, and charismatic.

Harry Wilson's tackle · Feb 11, 2020

BBassic said:
Ali for me.

Is the right answer.

But most regular NSC posters are over 50.

This is an amazing, and amazingly sad tribute....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofyeISIQHB4

NooBHA · Feb 11, 2020

Gotta be BensGrandad with all those clubs he has coached over the years

Lower West Stander · Feb 11, 2020

I get the Tendulkar argument but if you went to the States he wouldn’t be in anyone’s top 5. Similarly LeBron, Jordan, Shaq etc wouldn’t feature in an Indian Top 5 either.

There aren’t many truly global sports. I think Ali has been the most influential sportsman in history but in the days of modern social media I would reluctantly say Beckham because of his endless self publicity and dreadful wife.

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dangull · Feb 11, 2020

Senna is partly famous due to his tragic accident, and it has to be said he didn't win as many titles as Schumacher and Hamilton.
Having said that, what car you are driving is very important in this sport, as these great drivers would not have won much if they were in a Minardi car.

A1X · Feb 11, 2020

Bolt.

The face of a sport played around the world.

dangull · Feb 11, 2020

Easy 10 said:
Ali, without any shadow of a doubt. As others said, truly transcended his sport to become a global icon. He wasn't just a phenomenal exponent of his craft, he was even more of an inspiration outside of the ring.

New York Times columnist William Rhoden wrote"Ali's actions changed my standard of what constituted an athlete's greatness. Possessing a killer jump shot or the ability to stop on a dime was no longer enough. What were you doing for the liberation of your people ? What were you doing to help your country live up to the covenant of its founding principles ?"

Not just a great sportsman. A great man.

He also had many adulteress affairs and was accused of racism with his extreme black Muslim religion at the time. He also upset some opponents including Joe Frazier, calling him an uncle tom and a gorilla.
Just throwing that out there. He wasn't perfect but he was still my favourite sportsman in the world.

Binney on acid · Feb 11, 2020

It has to be Fred Binney.

schmunk · Feb 11, 2020

hans kraay fan club said:
I spent an entire day with him, in a huge empty hall at Excel London, for the filming of an advert, prior to the 2012 Olympics.

In between shoots, the day involved a LOT of hanging about. His rider / demands for the day, were a 'trailer' with a TV, and xBox with FIFA, jerk chicken and rice, and a football goal and a ball. Myself and various other underlings spent about three hours playing headers and volleys with him. Top, top bloke.

Pffft. A-League at best.

Rogero · Feb 11, 2020

Frutos said:
Surely has to be Muhammad Ali.

Its an age thing as my grandson has not heard of him. He is 11. People who know Ali are getting less.

hans kraay fan club · Feb 11, 2020

Lower West Stander said:
I get the Tendulkar argument but if you went to the States he wouldn’t be in anyone’s top 5

Actually I suggest he’d be in the Top ONE for an estimated 5.5 million US Citizens, of Indian origin.

Mellotron · Feb 11, 2020

The Wizard said:
I always think as a sports enthusiast it’s difficult to answer this question, in order to really find out who is the best known you’d need to ask this question on a forum that discusses train watching or bird watching, that way you find out who people know the most from those that aren’t really interested in sport.

Or go to a country in Sub Saharan Africa. None of them would have heard of any of the list bar Messi and Ronaldo, in my opinion.

Lower West Stander · Feb 12, 2020

hans kraay fan club said:
Actually I suggest he’d be in the Top ONE for an estimated 5.5 million US Citizens, of Indian origin.

True.

But when I was living in New York cricket was just about the hardest sport to find to watch on the zillion tv channels.

Must drive them mad...

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Horton's halftime iceberg · Feb 12, 2020

I always thought the saying was when I was a kid, you could parachute Muhammad Ali anywhere in the world and someone would know who he was.

The only other person I heard this applied to was Charlie Chaplin but dressed in character as the tramp.

Lush · Feb 12, 2020

The answer used to be Bobby Charlton, because if you turned up in the back of beyond anywhere in the world, that was always the reply if you said you were from England.

Waynflete · Feb 12, 2020

If 'most famous' is defined as 'person most people in the world have heard of' then it's going to be someone with name recognition across the most populous countries, isn't it.

So, who is recognised across China, India, Brazil, US, Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, Ethiopia etc.? On that basis it's not going to be someone like Tendulkar because, despite his demi-god status in India, he's not going to be known in Brazil, North America, most of Europe or much of Africa.

Also, global populations skew young. There are a lot of young people in India, Nigeria etc. People like Ali may have an extraordinary place in history, but do kids below the age of 20 really know who he was? Even Beckham... he's been off the scene for ten years so there will be a whole load of kids who may not know who he is.

The sport that crosses most geographies and most ages is football. So I reckon it's the most famous current (not historical) footballer. I'm going Messi.

dazzer6666 · Feb 12, 2020

Lower West Stander said:
True.

But when I was living in New York cricket was just about the hardest sport to find to watch on the zillion tv channels.

Must drive them mad...

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Doubt it, very easy to find cricket streams online. Not policed anywhere near as rigorously as football......apparently [emoji850][emoji16]

schmunk · Feb 12, 2020

Waynflete said:
If 'most famous' is defined as 'person most people in the world have heard of' then it's going to be someone with name recognition across the most populous countries, isn't it.

So, who is recognised across China, India, Brazil, US, Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, Ethiopia etc.? On that basis it's not going to be someone like Tendulkar because, despite his demi-god status in India, he's not going to be known in Brazil, North America, most of Europe or much of Africa.

Also, global populations skew young. There are a lot of young people in India, Nigeria etc. People like Ali may have an extraordinary place in history, but do kids below the age of 20 really know who he was? Even Beckham... he's been off the scene for ten years so there will be a whole load of kids who may not know who he is.

The sport that crosses most geographies and most ages is football. So I reckon it's the most famous current (not historical) footballer. I'm going Messi.

I fully agree with your logic right until the end. It'll be...

stock-photo-travel-people-africa-child-youth-places-guinea-bissau-african-culture-ronaldo-shirt-d58a2e44-56c8-4860-a634-d335b21620d0.jpg

Jospeh · Feb 12, 2020

China will produce a world class footballer at some point and that person will become the most famous person in the world.

GREASED WEASEL · Feb 12, 2020

Jospeh said:
China will produce a world class footballer at some point and that person will become the most famous person in the world.

might be an argument for the snooker player Ding then

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