Earlier this week, ESPN released their second annual list of the 100 Most Famous Athletes from every sport and every corner of the globe. As you can expect, the list was healthily populated with Latino superstars, the majority of whom hailed from the world of soccer. In all, 18 of the 100 most famous athletes hail from Latino countries, including 2 of the top 10: Barcelona’s attacking duo of Lionel Messi and Neymar, who clocked in at #3 and #6, respectively.
In terms of Latino countries, Brazil lead the pack: 9 Brazilians made the list, including 6 soccer players, Brazilian MMA fighter Anderson Silva, and Brazilian Formula One driver Sergio Massa.
Other notable Latinos on the list include cafetero James Rodriguez, El Tri striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, Mexican boxer Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, and Puerto Rican-by-way-of-Baltimore Carmelo Anthony. All in all, Latin America was represented across 4 different sports (soccer, boxing, MMA, and racing) and 8 different countries (Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Mexico, and Puerto Rico).
Check out the list of Latinos that made the cut below, and head on over to ESPN for the full list, topped by Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
3. Lionel Messi – Argentina
6. Neymar – Brazil
18. Kaka – Brazil
27. James Rodriguez – Colombia
29. Alexis Sánchez – Chile
38. Luis Suárez Uruguay
39. Anderson Silva – Brazil
41. Carmelo Anthony – Puerto Rico/USA
45. Marcelo Vieira – Brazil
46. Radamel Falcao – Colombia
49. Sergio Agüero – Argentina
53. David Luiz – Brazil
57. Dani Alves – Brazil
70. Javier Hernández – Mexico
76. Thiago Silva – Brazil
89. Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez – Mexico
92. Felipe Massa – Brazil
96. Gabriel Jesus – Brazil