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Who are the GOATs of all sports? A list of the greatest to play each sport
Samuel Lisubila, Adrianna Simwa
updated at April 19, 2024 at 10:55 AM
The acronym 'GOAT’ means Greatest of All Time and is reserved for one who is deemed to be the best in a particular art, mainly sport. With more than 200+ sports worldwide, individuals in all categories have been the best and earned the most excellent spot. Here is a list of the GOATs of all sports.
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While some might disagree on who is their favourite payer, some undoubtedly go as the most excellent thanks to their accolades, talent and influence on the game. With all these in consideration, the list below has been analysed and sorted to give the best results from the most popular sports in the world.
Who are the GOATs of all sports?
Rank | Name | Sport |
1 | Football | Lionel Messi |
2 | Basketball | Michael Jordan |
3 | MMA | Jon Jones |
4 | Rugby | Mal Meninga |
5 | Boxing | Muhammad Ali |
6 | American Football | Tom Brady |
7 | Baseball | Babe Ruth |
8 | Cricket | Don Bradman |
9 | Golf | Tiger Woods |
10 | Tennis | Roger Federer |
11 | Snooker | Ronnie O’Sullivan |
12 | F1 | Lewis Hamilton |
13 | Sprinter | Usain Bolt |
Top 13 famous GOATs of all sports
Here are some names that frequently come up when discussing the GOATs of various sports.
13. Sprinter - Usain Bolt
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- Full name: Usain St. Leo Bolt
- Date of birth: 21 August 1986
- Age: 37 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Sherwood Content, Jamaic
Usain Bolt is a retired Jamaican sprinter who is considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 200 meters, 4 × 100 meters relay and 100 meters.
He is the first athlete to win four world Championships titles in the 200 meters. Usain Bolt is the most successful male athlete of the World Championships.
12. F1 - Lewis Hamilton
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- Full name: Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton
- Date of birth: 7 January 1985
- Age: 39 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Stevenage, United Kingdom
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Lewis Hamilton driver competing in Formula One, driving for Mercedes. In 2020, he was listed by Time as the 100 most influential people globally. Lewis Hamilton is considered to be one of the grid's most complete drivers because of his versatility.
11. Snooker - Ronnie O’Sullivan
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- Full name: Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan
- Date of birth: 5 December 1975
- Age: 48 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Wordsley, United Kingdom
Ronnie O’Sullivan is snooker player recognized as one of the most talented and accomplished players in snooker history. He is a seven time winner of the World Snooker Championship.
At 17 years and 358 days, he won his first ranking event at the UK Championship in 1993. To this day, Ronnie O’Sullivan is the youngest player to win a ranking title. Ronnie O’Sullivan regarded as among the top 10 sporting GOATs.
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10. Tennis - Roger Federer
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- Full name: Roger Federer
- Date of birth: 8 August 1981
- Age: 42 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Basel, Switzerland
Setting standards in modern tennis is none other than Roger Federer. While some might argue that Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal have more Grand Slam titles than The Swiss Maestro, he is the King when every other aspect is considered. His combined skill, style, versatility and class make him the undisputed GOAT of the racket sport.
Among the awards he has earned throughout his career include 20 Grand Slam singles titles, 28 ATP Masters titles, and seven Swiss Sportsman of the year between 2003 and 2017. Roger Federer is also one of eight to win a career Grand Slam, winning all four Grand Slams at least once and is one of four to achieve a career Grand Slam on three different surfaces, hard, grass and clay courts.
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In 2020, Roger Federer was named the Best Sportsperson in the 70-year history of the Swiss Sports Awards and was later regarded as 'The Perfect sporting icon'. He retired in 2022 after he announced injuries and surgeries had taken a toll on his body.
9. Golf - Tiger Woods
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- Full name: Eldrick Tont Woods
- Date of birth: 30 December 1975
- Age: 48 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Cypress, California, United States
Labelled the golf GOAT, Tiger Woods has achieved a successful career since his debut in 1996 at 20. He has been unstoppable throughout the years despite suffering a broken leg and several back surgeries and has continued to have significant wins. Tiger Woods has won every title on his golf course and has risen to excellence thanks to his dominance in the game.
Woods began playing golf early when his father introduced it and coached him carefully. He grew up loving the game and reached the sport's highest rank, earning awards and accolades that only some would dream of. Some of his significant awards include five Masters Tournaments, four PGA Championships, three U.S. Open Championships, and three British Open Championships.
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On top of his achievements, his influence and impact on golf have been felt and seen by the millions inspired to join the sport. Several times' The Tiger Effect' has been experienced whenever he plays where TV ratings, attendance and interest in the sport skyrocket, but when he does not play, they all sag.
8. Cricket - Don Bradman
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- Full name: Donald George Bradman
- Date of birth: 27 August 1908
- Place of birth: Cootamundra, Australia
The Australian legend has had a fantastic career in cricket and is considered supreme in the pantheon of great batsmen. His impressive stats, blended with his influence on and off the pitch, make Bradman the greatest to play the game, with a record-setting Test batting average of 99.94, which has been cited as the most outstanding achievement by any sportsman in any major sport.
Some of the most outstanding achievements by 'The Don' include the highest personal score in a first-class match, 1931 Wisden Cricketer of the year, 1999 Australian Sportsman of the year and the first former Test player to be elected chairman of the Australian Board of Control in 1960. His most significant award came in 1949 when he was knighted, honouring him as 'Sir' Donald Bradman.
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Bradman's unique contribution to the game provided hope and pride to Australians during the Depression period. This move cemented his name as the greatest, as he was and still is a great ambassador for cricket.
7. Baseball - Babe Ruth
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- Full name: George Herman Ruth
- Date of birth: 6 February 1895
- Place of birth: Pigtown, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Babe Ruth is the greatest baseball player ever to play the game. He is also one of the most successful sportsmen, going strong from 1914 to 1935, spending a more significant period with the New York Yankees. Popularly known as 'The Sultan of Swat', Babe Ruth emerged as the greatest hitter of all time.
Throughout his 22-year career, he has earned major awards, including the League award, the Slocum award (Now: Jack Lang award), the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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6. American Football - Tom Brady
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- Full name: Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr.
- Date of birth: 3 August 1977
- Age: 46 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: San Mateo, California, United States
After winning his sixth Superbowl, Tom Brady cemented his position as the greatest of all time in NFL history. With 15 career Pro Bowl selections, he has also had the most career receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns for NFL tight ends and an incredible 3 MVP titles to complete the list.
Nicknamed 'Tom Terrific', he holds a .755 winning percentage, which is the most by any NFL quarterback who has started 100 games. Impressively, his 35 postseason victories are twice as many as any other quarterback, and he boasts the only NFL quarterback to win 200 regular season games.
5. Boxing - Muhammad Ali
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.
- Date of birth: 17 January 1942
- Place of birth: Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
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Famously known as 'The Greatest', Muhammad Ali is arguably the best heavyweight boxer of all time and is regarded as one of the most significant figures of the 20th century. Taking advantage of his incredible hand speed, dazzling reflexes and constant movement, Ali held his hands low, making his opponents miss by the hair, before knocking them off with his sharp counters.
Ali has had 56 wins and five losses, with 37 knockouts throughout his career. While other fighters might match this, the quality of his opponents and how he dominated the boxing world during his time places him on top of the chart as the greatest boxer of all time.
4. Rugby - Mal Meninga
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Malcolm Norman Meninga
- Date of birth: 8 July 1960
- Age: 63 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Bundaberg Central, Australia
Over his 17-year career, Meninga captained the Australian team for 23 Test matches and the Queensland State of Origin team for three years. That makes him the only player to captain two Kangaroo Tours, in 1990 and 1994. His achievements and records are a testament to his strength, drive and passion for the sport, earning him the spot as the greatest rugby player of all time.
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Playing mainly as a goal-kicking centre and also on the wing, Mal Meninga accumulated multiple awards during his time in the league. He won major awards, including in 1990 when he was named the best player in the world, Australian Rugby League Writers' Player of the Year in 1991, Centre of the Year and Captain of the Year in 1991 and the Sports Tourism Ambassador of the Year in 1993.
3. MMA - Jon Jones
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- Full name: Jonathan Dwight Jones
- Date of birth: 19 July 1987
- Age: 36 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Rochester, New York, United States
Coming from a traumatic childhood, Jon Jones is one of the most successful UFC fighters of all time. With an incredible reach to his advantage, he uses a ground-and-pound technique which genuinely sets him apart. The point fighter went ahead to be the best in the game, clinching multiple titles.
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He acquired notable titles, a two-time Light Heavyweight Championship from March 2011 to April 2015 and from December 2018 to August 2020. He also acquired the interim UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in 2016. He also holds the record for the longest unbeaten streak in UFC history of 18 straight fights.
2. Basketball - Michael Jordan
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- Full name: Michael Jeffrey Jordan
- Date of birth: 17 February 1963
- Age: 61 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York City, United States
While names like Bill Russel, Wilt Chamberlain and, most notably, Lebron James might be mentioned in the GOAT debate, Michael Jordan remains at the top. Currently the principal chairman and owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA, he spent 15 years in the league, winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls.
His dominance in the top basketball league during the 90s grew his popularity, making him one of the most influential athletes of the century. His number 23 jersey became the most popular jersey even after his retirement, and it is the most popular number in all sports.
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1. Football - Lionel Messi
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Lionel Andrés Messi
- Date of birth: 24 June 1987
- Age: 36 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Rosario, Argentina
After winning the 2022 World Cup, Lionel Messi cemented himself as the greatest footballer of all time. This was the only trophy standing in his way as he had clinched any other award a footballer could earn, making him one of the complete sportsmen of the modern era. Cristiano Ronaldo is the closest to Lionel Messi in this debate as he goes head-to-head against Messi in every comparable statistic that will lead to the GOAT title.
Which is the greatest of all time sports?
Football, also known as soccer, is the greatest sport of all time. It has been voted for, with over 250 million athletes playing it in more than 200 countries.
What is the least known sport?
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Some of the least-known sports in the world include unicycle hockey, chess, boxing and indoor kabaddi. The sports are, however, exciting and have even been featured in the Olympics. The three sports are also growing in popularity and may soon be recognised in major tournaments and competitions.
Who is the GOAT athlete of all time?
Usain Bolt is undoubtedly the most outstanding athlete of all time. Since he became a professional in the sprinting department, Bolt went strong in his career, becoming one of the most complete athletes in the world.
Who is known as the goat of football?
Argentina's star Lionel Messi is the undoubted GOAT of football in the 21 century. This comes after he won the World Cup, which was the only trophy missing from his cabinet. He has been compared primarily to Cristiano Ronaldo as the King of the 21st century.
Who is the GOAT of all GOATs in different sports?
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New England Patriots hero Tom Brady is the 'GOAT of all GOATs'. He took this spot from Michael Jordan after his seventh Super Bowl in 2022 triumph, which has made him clear of the pack among sports legends. He is the sports' GOAT of all time.
What does GOAT stand for?
GOAT is an abbreviation that stands for Greatest of All Time. It dates back to the 20th century when it praises exceptional athletes, musicians, artists and other public figures since its inception.
The GOATs of all sports above are a true meaning of sportsmanship, with all the hard work and determination that has led them to be the greatest in their crafts. While some are still alive, others who have died have remained to be respected for their positive influence on their respective sports and the world.
Sportsbrief.com recently published an article on the most popular jersey numbers in sports history. Athletes who have been influential on a personal level to fans have their jersey numbers earned popularity worldwide.
While they may seem like numbers to many, fans use them as inspiration and have adopted ways similar to the respective athlete, hoping to be as great. Read on to find out here.
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