Lionel Messi named best athlete of the first quarter of the 21st century, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Tom Brady

2025 will mark the end of the first quarter of the 21st century. Over the first 25 years, sports have evolved rapidly, producing extraordinary athletes across every discipline. Recently, Le Journal de Québec named the top 25 athletes of the first quarter of the century, featuring both retired legends and players who are still competing.

In that list, Le Journal de Québec ranked Lionel Messi as “the best athlete of the 21st century.” They wrote about Messi: “On a global scale, there is no sport that stirs as much passion as football. Who is the best player of his generation? Undoubtedly Lionel Messi. Some would even say he is the greatest of all time.

“The Argentinian’s accomplishments are countless. He has been a La Liga champion 10 times and a Champions League winner four times. He has won the Ballon d’Or eight times, awarded to the best player in the world. He holds the record for goals scored for Argentina and FC Barcelona. His legacy was already magnificent, and Messi added a resounding exclamation point by winning the World Cup with Argentina at 34 years old in 2022, earning admiration from all over the world.”

Throughout his career, Messi has established himself as the greatest footballer in history. He has completed football by winning every major trophy available, including eight Ballon d’Or awards and the World Cup in 2022. His global influence is immense, making him one of the most famous athletes in history, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Top 25 includes: 

1. Lionel Messi (Football-Argentina)

2. Tom Brady (NFL-United States)

3. Michael Phelps (Swimming-United States)

4. Serena Williams (Tennis-United States)

5. Usain Bolt (Athletics-Jamaica)

6. LeBron James (Basketball-United States)

7. Novak Djokovic (Tennis-Serbia)

8. Simone Biles (Gymnastics-United States)

9. Kobe Bryant (Basketball-United States)

10. Cristiano Ronaldo (Football-Portugal)

11. Tiger Woods (Golf-United States)

12. Roger Federer (Tennis-Switzerland)

13. Rafael Nadal (Tennis-Spain)

14. Stephen Curry (Basketball-United States)

15. Lewis Hamilton (Formula 1-United Kingdom)

16. Katie Ledecky (Swimming-United States)

17. Floyd Mayweather (Boxing-United States)

18. Sydney Crosby (Hockey-Canada)

19. Mikaël Kingsbury (Freestyle Skiing-Canada)

20. Michael Schumacher (Formula 1-Germany)

21. Shohei Ohtani (Baseball-Japan)

22. Mikaela Shiffrin (Skiing-United States)

23. Patrick Mahomes (NFL-United States)

24. Alexander Ovechkin (Hockey-Russia)

25. Marta Vieira da Silva (Fooball-Brazil)