13 Top Male Athletes in the World

13 Top Male Athletes in the World

There are numerous outstanding male athletes in the sports world. Many players are well-known for their athletic ability and exceptional skills.

Today, we look at some of the most notable figures in sports history, among thousands of male sportsmen.

In addition, the list includes both renowned athletes and younger generation players.

These athletes serve as role models for the next generation of athletes. So, without further ado, let us look at the world’s top male athletes.

13. Tiger Woods

We’ll start with Tiger Woods, one of the best golfers of all time.

Woods, 46, is an American professional golfer who is ranked second in men’s major championships.

When he was 20, the golfer made his professional debut in 1996.

Following that, Wood began as an amateur golfer.

After a year, in 1997, he was ranked one in the world.

A year after his debut, Woods had won his first major, the 1997 Masters, as well as three PGA Tour events and set a new course record by 12 shots.

Throughout the first decade of the twenty-first century, he ruled the golf world.

After a great decade as a top golfer, though, his second decade was marred by personal issues and injuries.

As a result, Woods takes a personal break.

Nonetheless, he made a steady recovery in 2018, winning his fifth Tour Championship in five years.

He has received multiple honors and holds numerous world records in golf history.

He is the youngest player in history to complete the career Grand Slam.

Similarly, he is one of just two players in history to complete a career Grand Slam three times.

Woods has the most significant amount of weeks played of any golfer in history.

He is also a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

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12. Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt, a retired Jamaican sprinter, is the next man on our list of top male athletes.

Bolt is widely regarded as the best sprinter of all time.

Bolt made his international debut at the 2001 IAAF World Youth Championship.

He ran a lifetime best of 21.73 seconds but did not advance to the finals in the 200-meter event.

He rose to international prominence during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

He set world records in the double sprint.

He was the first person to hold both records when fully automatic timing became obligatory.

Bolt has won eight Olympic gold medals and eleven World Championships since beginning his professional career.

Furthermore, he is the only sprinter to have won Olympic 100-meter and 200-meter titles at three consecutive Olympics in 2008, 2012, and 2016.

Bolt has received numerous awards throughout the years, including IAAF World Athlete of the Year, Track & Field Athlete of the Year, and others.

He did, however, retire following the 2017 World Championships.

11. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is one of the greatest footballers of all time.

In today’s soccer world, he is the most prolific goalie and creative playmaker.

Messi, now 35, made his professional debut at the age of 17 in 2004.

He had, however, been active in soccer since boyhood and had joined La Masia, Barcelona’s junior club.

Messi won his first Ballon d’Or when he was 22 years old.

Following that, he won three straight Ballon d’Or, making him the only player to do so four times in a row.

After scoring a goal against Athletic Bilbao, Lionel Messi celebrates.

Lionel Messi celebrates his score against Athletic Bilbao.

Similarly, he holds other records, like the most goals in La Liga, a La Liga and European league season, the most hat-tricks in La Liga, Copa América, and so on.

Similarly, Messi holds the record for the most international goals scored by a South American male and the most goals scored by a single club player.

He has also received numerous honors.

He began his career with Barcelona and remained with the club until 2021.

Then, on August 10, 2021, he agreed to terms with Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year contract.

10. LeBron James

LeBron James, nicknamed “King James,” is an American basketball player with the Los Angeles Lakers.

This 37-year-old player is regarded as one of the best in NBA history.

In his hometown of Akron, Ohio, James played college basketball.

He was already regarded as a future NBA star by the national media before being picked.

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected him first overall in the 2003 NBA draft.

Then, after making his debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers, James made an immediate impression.

He was selected Rookie of the Year in 2003-04.

LeBron James quickly became the league’s most recognizable name.

He was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers until 2010 when he departed to sign as a free agent with the Miami Heat.

James’ decision to sign as a free agent was regarded as one of the most contentious in sports history.

He then returned to the Cavaliers in 2014, then in 2018, he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

James is the only player to have won three NBA championships as the NBA Finals MVP (Cavaliers, Heat, and Lakers.)

In 2021, LeBron James became the first athlete in NBA history to earn $1 billion as an active player.

9. Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps, a former competitive swimmer, ranks ninth among our greatest male athletes.

The 37-year-old Phelps is largely recognized as the greatest swimmer of all time, as well as one of the best athletes of all time.

Phelps began training at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under Bob Bowman when he was 11 years old.

The previous year, Michael set a national record for his age group in the 100-meter butterfly.

Phelps earned eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, breaking Mark Spitz’s previous record of seven gold medals.

Similarly, he won four gold and two silver medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Similarly, he won five gold medals and one silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

With 28 medals, Phelps is the most successful Olympian of all time.

He also holds a number of records, including those for Olympic gold medals, individual events, and individual events.

Phelps, one of the world’s most accomplished athletes, announced his retirement on August 12, 2016.

8. Pelé

Pelé has become synonymous with soccer.

This prominent Brazilian soccer icon, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is ranked eighth among the world’s top male sportsmen.

Pelé, now 81, is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

Similarly, he is one of the most successful and popular sports figures of the twentieth century.

Pelé began his playing career for Santos at the age of 15.

The next year, he made his national team debut for Brazil.

He was Santos’ all-time leading scorer while playing for the club.

Pelé also led the team to the Copa Libertadores in 1962 and 1963, as well as the Intercontinental Cups in 1962 and 1963.

He also played for the New York Cosmos in addition to the Santos.

Pelé was one of the world’s highest-paid athletes at the height of his career.

He was also a fantastic goal scorer, averaging nearly a goal per game.

Pelé is well known for his various records and awards, and he is credited with popularizing the phrase “The Beautiful Game” in soccer.

He left the soccer world in 1977.

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7. Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky, dubbed “The Great One,” is a retired professional ice hockey player from Canada.

He was born on January 6, 1961, and has been dubbed the best hockey player by the NHL, players, and sportswriters.

Gretzky was a member of four NHL teams from 1979 to 1999.

He was also a leading scorer at the 1978 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

Gretzky played with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and New York Rangers during his career.

Similarly, he played for the World Hockey Association’s Indianapolis Racers.

Gretzky is one of the most prolific scorers in NHL history, as well as a point producer and assists producer.

The sportsman is the only player in NHL history to score 200 points or more in a single season.

By the time he retired, he had set 61 NHL records, 40 regular-season records, 15 playoff records, and 6 All-Star records.

Gretzky departed from the NHL in 1999 and went into coaching. In 2009, he announced his retirement from coaching.

6. Tom Brady

Tom Brady is the next athlete on our list of the top male athletes.

He is a 45-year-old quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football League.

He is largely recognized as the greatest quarterback in history.

Brady began his NFL career after being picked in the sixth round by the New England Patriots in 2000.

He did, however, become the starting quarterback in his second season.

In the same season, the Patriots earned their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVI.

From 2001 until 2009, Brady was the face of the franchise’s dynasty.

He played 20 seasons for the Patriots until joining the Buccaneers in 2020.

Brady led the Buccaneers to Super Bowl LV shortly after joining the team.

Similarly, he has numerous awards and records to his name.

Some of the highlights include 17 division titles, 13 AFC Championship Games, and ten Super Bowl appearances.

Similarly, his career stats include seven Super Bowl victories.

The quarterback is the oldest player to be selected Super Bowl MVP and to win a Super Bowl as a starter.

As of 2021, his career NFL statistics include 11.317 passing attempts, 7.263 passing completions, a completion percentage of 64.2, 84,520 passing yards, and a passer rating of 97.6.

5. Kobe Bryant

Another NBA player on our list of the top male athletes is Kobe Bryant, who was born on August 23, 1978, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

He was the son of NBA legend Joe Bryant.

During high school, he was a member of the varsity basketball team, for which he received national notoriety.

The player entered the NBA draft in 1996 and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant, on the other hand, was 17 at the time, and his parents cosigned the contract until he turned 18.

The following year, as a rookie, he won the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest and established a name for himself.

Bryant was also named an All-Star in his second season.

Kobe ate up his entire 20-year Lakers career.

During that time, he was named NBA Most Valuable Player five times and NBA Finals MVP twice.

Similarly, he was named an All-Star 18 times, an All-NBA Team 15 times, and an All-Defensive Team 12 times.

Bryant died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, at the age of 41.

In 2020, Kobe will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo

The top male athlete on our list at number four is none other than Cristiano Ronaldo, the famed Portuguese soccer star.

Ronaldo, 37, is widely recognized as one of the greatest players in soccer history.

He began his senior club career with Sporting CP.

However, at the age of 18, he was signed by Manchester United.

Ronaldo was the first Portuguese player to sign a contract with Manchester United.

He won the FA Cup in his debut season with Manchester.

Similarly, he won three Premier League crowns in a row, as well as the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Furthermore, Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or at the age of 23.

Ronaldo was traded to Real Madrid in 2009.

The most expensive transfer in association football cost €94 million (£80 million).

In 2018, he agreed to terms with Juventus for an initial price of €100 million (£88 million).

Ronaldo has won various trophies and awards over the years.

He has four European Golden Shoes and five Ballon d’Or titles.

He has also won seven league championships, five UEFA Champions Leagues, one UEFA European Championship, and one UEFA Nations League.

Ronaldo is the first player and only the third athlete in history to earn $1 billion in his career.

In addition, he was named one of the world’s 100 most influential people in the 2014 edition of the Times.

3. Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron, regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time, is third on our ranking of the top male athletes.

He was a former Major League Baseball player known as “Hammer” or “Hammerin’ Hank.”

Aaron began his baseball career in the lower leagues with the Negro American League before moving on to the main leagues.

Hammer made his Major League Baseball debut in 1954 with the Milwaukee Braves.

Aaron was a right fielder in Major League Baseball for 23 years.

He spent 21 seasons with his first team, the Milwaukee Braves, before joining the Brewers.

Aaron was named fifth on the list of the “100 Greatest Baseball Players” by Sporting News in 1999.

During his playing career, he set numerous records and got numerous accolades, including a three-time Gold Glove winner, NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, and so on.

He retired with the majority of the game’s main career power-hitting records.

Unfortunately, he died on January 22, 2021.

2. Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali, the boxing icon, is ranked second on our list of the top male sportsmen.

The boxer is one of the twentieth century’s most influential and recognized sports icons.

In 1954 and 1960, the American fighter made his amateur boxing debut.

In his professional debut, he faced Tunney Hunsaker.

Racism was pervasive throughout America when Clay entered the boxing world.

In order to escape persecution, he turned to Islam in 1961.

Soon after winning the heavyweight championship, Clay declared his conversion and issued a personal statement of independence.

In addition, he changed his name to “Muhammad Ali.

” This shift defined his career and legacy in a variety of ways.

Ali has been involved in a number of notable boxing contests and feuds.

His fights with Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman were widely known.

Aside from being a boxing legend, he was also a prominent representative of African American racial pride throughout the civil rights movement. Ali died on June 3, 2016, at the age of 74.

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1.  Michael Jordan

We have risen to the top of the list of best male athletes.

Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, is our number one.

Jordan is a former professional basketball player who goes by the initial MJ.

In the 1980s and 1990s, he was a key figure in popularizing the NBA and became a global cultural hero.

Jordan played college basketball before being picked as the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls.

He quickly established himself as a prolific scorer and one of the finest defensive players in the NBA.

Likewise, his leaping abilities earned him the moniker “Air Jordan” and “His Airness.

” His first NBA title was with the Chicago Bulls in 1991.

During his career, he also played for the Washington Wizards from 2001 to 2003.

ESPN rated Jordan the most outstanding North American athlete of the twentieth century in 1999.

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice, once for his career and once for his role on the United States men’s Olympic basketball team in 1992.

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Conclusion

These athletes have accomplished some of the most amazing exploits in sports history.

They have also made significant contributions to their respective sports fields.

Aside from the athletes on the list above, there are others who are considered to be at the pinnacle of their game.

So, what are your thoughts about our list? Please notify us!