Spanish Media Names Messi Only Second in Best Athlete of the Century, Ronaldo Misses Top Three

On December 29, Spanish radio station COPE’s program Tiempo de Juego invited experts to rank the best athletes of the 21st century and the best athletes in each sport. The results sparked controversy: Lionel Messi, historically considered one of the greatest, was ranked only second, with Spanish tennis superstar Rafael Nadal taking the top spot and track legend Usain Bolt third.

The selection has been widely questioned. Even within tennis, Nadal is not universally regarded as the absolute best, so placing him as the best athlete across all sports is highly debatable. Messi’s achievements are unparalleled, making his second-place ranking appear undervalued.

In football, Messi ranked first, Ronaldo second, and Ronaldinho third. In basketball, LeBron James topped the list, followed by Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant, though some argue Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan would be more fitting for the top three of the century. Other sports: Bolt (athletics), Mayweather (boxing), Woods (golf), Brady (American football).

Overall, the list offers some insight but loses credibility by placing Nadal as the overall best athlete, revealing glaring inconsistencies across football, basketball, and other key sports.