Lionel Messi, the star player for Paris Saint-Germain, has earned his spot atop the sports’ equivalent of Mount Rushmore, ahead of such luminaries as Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele, and Diego Maradona.
In the end, SPORTbible narrowed the field down to four exceptional athletes who stood out from the rest of their peers.
They considered not just their accomplishments in their particular sports but also the influence they have had on other athletes throughout history and into the future. For the sake of parity, they could only include one player in each sport on SPORTbible’s Mount Rushmore.
They had to cut cricket, MMA, American football, and other popular sports off the list. And now, without further ado, their Mount Rushmore of athletic GOATs, including the four most legendary athletes of all time.
Lionel Messi Gets Included At Number 1 In A Special List Including 3 More Athletes
#4 Roger Federer (Tennis)
Putting the star power of tennis great Roger Federer at the top of our sports Mount Rushmore. Federer has always been mentioned with other tennis greats like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. He has consistently played at a high level and pushed the boundaries of longevity. For the time being, though, we think Federer has spoken enough to put an end to this discussion.
Federer was a smooth and graceful tennis player who amassed an astonishing 20 Grand Slam singles championships throughout his famous playing career. A key figure in tennis throughout his career, Roger Federer overcame injury and the persistent challenge of up-and-coming players to his long-held throne.
The Swiss veteran, at 41 years old, announced his retirement from tennis in September 2022 and went out on a high note by competing in the Laver Cup with fellow tennis great Nadal.
