With so many transcendent athletes over the past 25 years, we thought it was time to poll our experts to find the best of the best. In considering the best athletes of the 21st century, we expanded our choices beyond North America. ESPN editions from around the globe contributed to the nominations and voting process of the Top 100, as well as individual sport list rankings.
Voters were instructed to consider only an athlete’s performance since 2000. In the end, we received more than 70,000 votes from ESPN contributors. Find every list as they are published here:
25 future top athletes of the 21st Century
Top 10 men’s MMA fighters | Top 10 women’s MMA
Top 25 men’s soccer players | Top 25 women’s soccer players
Top 10 women’s tennis players | Top 10 men’s tennis players
Ranking ESPN dos 25 maiores atletas brasileiros do século 21
Top 25 fantasy football players | Top 25 fantasy baseball players
Top 25 NBA players | Top 25 women’s basketball players
Top 10 men’s boxers | Top 10 women’s boxers
Still to come: Top golfers
