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Cristiano Ronaldo was the most Googled athlete over the last year, with almost 200 million searches
We’ve analysed Google search data to find the athletes with the most searches between September 2022 and August 2023. Here’s what we found across Football, Basketball, Cricket, Tennis and more
Rank | Athlete | Annual searches |
---|---|---|
1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 199.4m |
2 | Neymar | 140.9m |
3 | Lionel Messi | 104.4m |
4 | LeBron James | 72.1m |
5 | Virat Kohli | 68.0m |
6 | Kylian Mbappé | 63.7m |
7 | Carlos Alcaraz | 60.0m |
8 | Novak Djokovic | 58.4m |
9 | Erling Haaland | 43.4m |
10 | Lewis Hamilton | 34.9m |
11 | Max Verstappen | 34.3m |
12 | Aaron Rodgers | 33.3m |
13 | Jude Bellingham | 32.5m |
14 | Stephen Curry | 28.9m |
15 | Karim Benzema | 28.6m |
16 | Conor Mcgregor | 27.6m |
17 | Kyrie Irving | 26.6m |
18 | Rafael Nadal | 26.2m |
19 | Jake Paul | 24.1m |
20 | Kevin Durant | 23.6m |
21 | Patrick Mahomes | 23.1m |
22 | Robert Lewandowski | 22.1m |
23 | Tyson Fury | 21.4m |
24 | Luka Modric | 20.6m |
25 | Jimmy Butler | 20.2m |
26 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 19.2m |
27 | Sadio Mane | 18.6m |
28 | Russell Westbrook | 18.4m |
29 | Anthony Davis | 17.7m |
30 | Tiger Woods | 17.2m |
31 | Jayson Tatum | 16.2m |
32 | Iga Swiatek | 15.6m |
33 | Kevin De Bruyne | 15.2m |
34 | James Harden | 14.9m |
35 | Rory Mcilroy | 13.0m |
36 | Josh Allen | 12.3m |
37 | Russell Wilson | 12.2m |
37 | Alexis Sanchez | 12.2m |
39 | Son Heung-min | 11.6m |
40 | Klay Thompson | 11.2m |
40 | Chris Paul | 11.2m |
40 | Damian Lillard | 11.6m |
41 | Devin Booker | 11.2m |
44 | Mohamed Salah | 11.1m |
45 | Antoine Griezmann | 10.9m |
46 | Manuel Neuer | 10.1m |
46 | Joel Embiid | 10.8m |
48 | Victor Osimhen | 9.6m |
47 | Coco Gauff | 10.1m |
48 | Kawhi Leonard | 10.1m |
50 | Emma Raducanu | 9.6m |
52 | James Rodriguez | 9.3m |
53 | Donovan Mitchell | 9.2m |
54 | Paul Pogba | 9.1m |
55 | D'Angelo Russell | 8.6m |
56 | Jamal Murray | 8.4m |
57 | Dak Prescott | 8.3m |
58 | Canelo Álvarez | 8.1m |
59 | Alexia Putellas | 7.8m |
60 | Nikola Jokić | 7.6m |
61 | Trevor Lawrence | 7.4m |
62 | Alex Morgan | 7.1m |
63 | Sam Kerr | 6.9m |
64 | Andrew Wiggins | 6.7m |
65 | Alphonso Davies | 6.7m |
66 | Blake Griffin | 6.7m |
67 | Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | 6.6m |
68 | Simone Biles | 6.3m |
69 | Riyad Mahrez | 6.3m |
70 | Paul George | 6.3m |
71 | Justin Verlander | 5.9m |
72 | Deshaun Watson | 5.8m |
73 | Stefon Diggs | 5.6m |
74 | Raheem Sterling | 5.6m |
75 | Kevin Love | 5.5m |
76 | Megan Rapinoe | 5.5m |
77 | Kirk Cousins | 5.5m |
78 | Davante Adams | 5.4m |
79 | Naomi Osaka | 5.4m |
80 | Bryce Harper | 5.2m |
81 | Jordan Spieth | 5.0m |
82 | Rudy Gobert | 4.5m |
83 | Mike Trout | 4.3m |
84 | Jessica Pegula | 4.3m |
85 | Bradley Beal | 4.0m |
86 | John Wall | 3.8m |
87 | Karl-Anthony Towns | 3.7m |
88 | Phil Mickelson | 3.6m |
89 | Matthew Stafford | 3.4m |
90 | Trevor Bauer | 3.2m |
91 | Kristaps Porziņģis | 3.2m |
92 | Leylah Fernandez | 3.1m |
93 | Sergio Perez | 3.1m |
94 | Miguel Cabrera | 3.0m |
95 | Pascal Siakam | 3.0m |
96 | Brandon Ingram | 2.9m |
97 | Jrue Holiday | 2.8m |
98 | Von Miller | 2.6m |
99 | Manny Machado | 2.5m |
100 | Candace Parker | 2.4m |
101 | Khris Middleton | 2.3m |
102 | T.J. Watt | 2.3m |
103 | Cj Mccollum | 2.2m |
104 | Pv Sindhu | 2.2m |
105 | Tobias Harris | 2.1m |
106 | Gordon Hayward | 1.9m |
107 | Lydia Ko | 1.8m |
108 | Clayton Kershaw | 1.8m |
109 | Amari Cooper | 1.7m |
110 | Gerrit Cole | 1.6m |
111 | Mike Williams | 1.6m |
112 | Chris Godwin | 1.2m |
113 | Kris Bryant | 1.2m |
114 | Allen Robinson | 1.0m |
115 | Jamal Adams | 0.7m |
116 | Stephen Strasburg | 0.6m |
117 | Asisat Oshoala | 0.6m |
118 | Minjee Lee | 0.6m |
119 | Marshon Lattimore | 0.5m |
120 | David Price | 0.4m |
121 | Xavien Howard | 0.4m |
122 | Jonathan Allen | 0.2m |
123 | Chun In-Gee | 0.2m |
124 | Brandon Scherff | 0.1m |
125 | Ryan Ramczyk | 0.0m |
126 | Anthony Rendon | 0.0m |
126 | Grady Jarrett | 0.0m |
Cristiano Ronaldo - 199.4 million Google searches since September 2022
Taking the top spot is Cristiano Ronaldo, with almost 200 million Google searches in just the last year. At the end of 2022, the 38-year-old joined Al Nassr after being released by Manchester United. The switch from England to Saudi Arabia maintained his status as one of the highest-paid football players in the world.
Neymar - 140.9 million Google searches since September 2022
Neymar takes second place with just over 140 million Google searches in the last 12 months. Like many in the 2023 summer transfer window, the Brazilian moved to Saudi Arabia, swapping Paris Saint-Germain for Al Hilal. Neymar is Brazil’s top goalscorer, with 79 goals, overtaking Pele, who has held the record since 1971.
Lionel Messi - 104.4 million searches since September 2022
Our top three is completed by none other than Lionel Messi, who has over 100 million Google searches since September 2022. The Argentine’s status as one of the greatest football players ever was reaffirmed in 2022, as his country won the Qatar World Cup. Messi played a crucial role throughout the tournament, scoring seven goals, two of which came in the final against France.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the most searched athlete in 11 countries, more than any other athlete
Seeing athletes who represent your nation succeed at the highest level can fill you with pride. That’s why we used search data to find the most searched athlete in each country represented by the athletes in our seeding list.
Country | Most Searched Athlete | Total Searches |
---|---|---|
Algeria | Riyad Mahrez | 1.6m |
Argentina | Lionel Messi | 4.6m |
Australia | Sam Kerr | 2.4m |
Belgium | Cristiano Ronaldo | 1.2m |
Brazil | Neymar | 33.8m |
Cameroon | Cristiano Ronaldo | 0.4m |
Canada | Cristiano Ronaldo | 3.1m |
Chile | Alexis Sanchez | 5.5m |
Colombia | Cristiano Ronaldo | 5.4m |
Croatia | Luka Modric | 1.4m |
Dominican Republic | LeBron James | 0.5m |
Egypt | Cristiano Ronaldo | 0.9m |
France | Neymar | 8.1m |
Georgia | Kvicha Kvaratskhelia | 0.3m |
Germany | Cristiano Ronaldo | 6.4m |
Greece | Neymar | 0.8m |
India | Virat Kohli | 59.7m |
Ireland | Rory McIlroy | 1.4m |
Japan | Cristiano Ronaldo | 0.2m |
Latvia | Kristaps Porzingis | 0.1m |
Mexico | Cristiano Ronaldo | 10.0m |
Netherlands | Max Verstappen | 10.5m |
New Zealand | Lydia Ko | 0.7m |
Nigeria | Cristiano Ronaldo | 1.6m |
Norway | Neymar | 0.5m |
Poland | Robert Lewandowski | 4.8m |
Portugal | Cristiano Ronaldo | 3.8m |
Senegal | Sadio Mane | 1.1m |
Serbia | Novak Djokovic | 2.7m |
South Korea | Son Heung-Min | 0.2m |
Spain | Carlos Alcaraz | 25.9m |
United Kingdom | Tyson Fury | 6.5m |
United States | LeBron James | 30.3m |
Venezuela | Cristiano Ronaldo | 1.8m |
Cristiano Ronaldo - 11 countries
Cristiano Ronaldo takes the top spot again as the most searched athlete in 11 countries. Ronaldo was, of course, the most searched athlete in Portugal. However, he was also the most searched athlete in Egypt, Canada, and Mexico, beating Mohamed Salah, Alphonso Davies, and Canelo Alvarez in their home countries, respectively.
Neymar - 4 countries
In second place is Neymar, who was the most searched athlete in four different countries. The 31-year-old came out on top in France, Norway, Greece, and his home country, Brazil. Neymar’s transfer to the French capital remains the most expensive transfer in history, at over €200 million.
Lebron James - 2 countries
Our top three is completed by Lebron James, the most searched athlete in two countries, the United States and the Dominican Republic. James is the all-time leading scorer in the NBA and is considered one of the greatest basketball players ever. NBA
Cristiano Ronaldo is the most-followed athlete on Instagram, with more than 600 million followers
Instagram is an excellent way for fans to connect with their favourite athletes. That’s why we’ve revealed the most-followed athletes in the world.
Rank | Athlete | Sport | Nationality | Instagram Followers |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Soccer | Portugal | 606.0m |
2 | Lionel Messi | Soccer | Argentina | 488.0m |
3 | Virat Kohli | Cricket | India | 259.0m |
4 | Neymar | Soccer | Brazil | 215.0m |
5 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | 158.0m |
6 | Kylian Mbappé | Soccer | France | 108.0m |
7 | Karim Benzema | Soccer | France | 75.2m |
8 | Mohamed Salah | Soccer | Egypt | 62.6m |
9 | Paul Pogba | Soccer | France | 61.0m |
10 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | United States | 54.6m |
11 | James Rodriguez | Soccer | Colombia | 51.9m |
12 | Conor McGregor | MMA | Ireland | 46.8m |
13 | Antoine Griezmann | Soccer | France | 41.1m |
14 | Erling Haaland | Soccer | Norway | 35.7m |
15 | Robert Lewandowski | Soccer | Poland | 35.3m |
16 | Lewis Hamilton | Formula 1 | United Kingdom | 34.7m |
17 | Luka Modric | Soccer | Croatia | 32.8m |
18 | Jake Paul | Boxing | United States | 25.0m |
19 | Kevin De Bruyne | Soccer | Belgium | 24.1m |
20 | Russell Westbrook | Basketball | United States | 22.9m |
21 | Rafael Nadal | Tennis | Spain | 20.2m |
22 | Kyrie Irving | Basketball | Australia | 19.6m |
23 | Jude Bellingham | Soccer | United Kingdom | 17.8m |
24 | Alexis Sanchez | Soccer | Chile | 17.0m |
25 | Klay Thompson | Basketball | United States | 16.6m |
26 | Sadio Mane | Soccer | Senegal | 16.0m |
27 | Canelo Álvarez | Boxing | Mexico | 15.9m |
28 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Basketball | Greece | 15.7m |
29 | Novak Djokovic | Tennis | Serbia | 13.9m |
30 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | United States | 13.3m |
31 | Manuel Neuer | Soccer | Germany | 12.9m |
32 | Son Heung-min | Soccer | South Korea | 12.7m |
33 | Riyad Mahrez | Soccer | Algeria | 12.1m |
34 | James Harden | Basketball | United States | 11.9m |
35 | Chris Paul | Basketball | United States | 11.8m |
36 | Raheem Sterling | Soccer | United Kingdom | 10.7m |
37 | Max Verstappen | Formula 1 | Netherlands | 10.4m |
38 | Alex Morgan | Soccer | United States | 10.2m |
39 | Paul George | Basketball | United States | 10.1m |
40 | Damian Lillard | Basketball | United States | 10.0m |
41 | Jimmy Butler | Basketball | United States | 9.7m |
42 | Joel Embiid | Basketball | Cameroon | 7.4m |
43 | Simone Biles | Gymnastics | United States | 7.0m |
44 | Jayson Tatum | Basketball | United States | 6.5m |
45 | Tyson Fury | Boxing | United Kingdom | 6.4m |
46 | Sergio Perez | Formula 1 | Mexico | 6.1m |
47 | Patrick Mahomes | NFL | United States | 5.8m |
48 | Russell Wilson | NFL | United States | 5.5m |
48 | Devin Booker | Basketball | United States | 5.5m |
50 | Alphonso Davies | Soccer | Canada | 5.4m |
51 | Carlos Alcaraz | Tennis | Spain | 4.3m |
52 | Karl-Anthony Towns | Basketball | United States | 4.2m |
53 | D'Angelo Russell | Basketball | United States | 3.9m |
53 | Blake Griffin | Basketball | United States | 3.9m |
55 | Donovan Mitchell | Basketball | United States | 3.8m |
56 | Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | Soccer | Georgia | 3.5m |
56 | PV Sindhu | Badminton | India | 3.5m |
58 | Kevin Love | Basketball | United States | 3.4m |
59 | Alexia Putellas | Soccer | Spain | 3.3m |
60 | Tiger Woods | Golf | United States | 3.2m |
61 | Victor Osimhen | Soccer | Nigeria | 3.0m |
62 | Rory McIlroy | Golf | Northern Ireland | 2.7m |
62 | Naomi Osaka | Tennis | United States | 2.7m |
64 | Emma Raducanu | Tennis | United Kingdom | 2.5m |
65 | Aaron Rodgers | NFL | United States | 2.2m |
65 | Dak Prescott | NFL | United States | 2.2m |
65 | Mike Trout | Baseball | United States | 2.2m |
65 | Brandon Ingram | Basketball | United States | 2.2m |
69 | Andrew Wiggins | Basketball | Canada | 2.1m |
69 | Megan Rapinoe | Soccer | United States | 2.1m |
71 | Von Miller | NFL | United States | 2.0m |
72 | Jordan Spieth | Golf | United States | 1.8m |
73 | Sam Kerr | Soccer | Australia | 1.7m |
73 | Stefon Diggs | NFL | United States | 1.7m |
73 | Bryce Harper | Baseball | United States | 1.7m |
76 | Coco Gauff | Tennis | United States | 1.6m |
77 | Kristaps Porziņģis | Basketball | Latvia | 1.5m |
78 | Deshaun Watson | NFL | United States | 1.4m |
79 | Davante Adams | NFL | United States | 1.3m |
79 | Bradley Beal | Basketball | United States | 1.3m |
79 | CJ McCollum | Basketball | United States | 1.3m |
79 | Iga Swiatek | Tennis | Poland | 1.3m |
83 | Jamal Murray | Basketball | Canada | 1.2m |
83 | Phil Mickelson | Golf | United States | 1.2m |
83 | Miguel Cabrera | Baseball | Venezuela | 1.2m |
86 | Josh Allen | NFL | United States | 1.1m |
86 | Gordon Hayward | Basketball | United States | 1.1m |
88 | Trevor Lawrence | NFL | United States | 1.0m |
88 | T.J. Watt | NFL | United States | 1.0m |
88 | Asisat Oshoala | Soccer | Nigeria | 1.0m |
88 | Candace Parker | Basketball | United States | 1.0m |
92 | Kris Bryant | Baseball | United States | 932.0k |
93 | Manny Machado | Baseball | United States | 898.0k |
94 | Jamal Adams | NFL | United States | 875.0k |
95 | Justin Verlander | Baseball | United States | 843.0k |
96 | Amari Cooper | NFL | United States | 836.0k |
97 | Rudy Gobert | Basketball | France | 832.0k |
98 | Pascal Siakam | Basketball | Cameroon | 694.0k |
99 | Jrue Holiday | Basketball | Dominican Republic | 595.0k |
100 | Clayton Kershaw | Baseball | United States | 567.0k |
101 | Trevor Bauer | Baseball | United States | 565.0k |
102 | Kirk Cousins | NFL | United States | 544.0k |
103 | Tobias Harris | Basketball | United States | 511.0k |
104 | Khris Middleton | Basketball | United States | 396.0k |
105 | Gerrit Cole | Baseball | United States | 371.0k |
106 | Leylah Fernandez | Tennis | Canada | 348.0k |
107 | Mike Williams | NFL | United States | 335.0k |
108 | Lydia Ko | Golf | New Zealand | 266.0k |
109 | Chris Godwin | NFL | United States | 240.0k |
110 | Xavien Howard | NFL | United States | 187.0k |
111 | Allen Robinson | NFL | United States | 176.0k |
112 | Matthew Stafford | NFL | United States | 168.0k |
113 | Jessica Pegula | Tennis | United States | 164.0k |
114 | Chun In-Gee | Golf | South Korea | 154.0k |
115 | Jonathan Allen | NFL | United States | 135.0k |
116 | Minjee Lee | Golf | Australia | 121.0k |
117 | Grady Jarrett | NFL | United States | 104.0k |
118 | Ryan Ramczyk | NFL | United States | 12.8k |
#N/A | Anthony Davis | Basketball | United States | |
#N/A | Kawhi Leonard | Basketball | United States | |
#N/A | Nikola Jokić | Basketball | Serbia | |
#N/A | Stephen Strasburg | Baseball | United States | |
#N/A | Marshon Lattimore | NFL | United States | |
#N/A | David Price | Baseball | United States | |
#N/A | Brandon Scherff | NFL | United States |
Cristiano Ronaldo - 606 million Instagram followers
Cristiano Ronaldo has over 600 million Instagram followers and again takes the top spot. Not only is Ronaldo the most-followed athlete, but he is also the most-followed person on Instagram, taking the crown from Selena Gomez in 2018.
Lionel Messi - 488 million Instagram followers
In second place is Lionel Messi, with 488 million Instagram followers. Lionel Messi is also the second most-followed account on Instagram. Despite having fewer followers than Ronaldo, Messi holds the record for the most-liked photo on the social media platform. Messi’s post celebrating his World Cup victory received over 75 million likes, overtaking a picture of an egg.
Virat Kohli - 259 million Instagram followers
Our top three is completed by Virat Kohli, who has 259 million Instagram followers. The Indian cricketer is widely regarded as one of the best batters of all time. Kohli earned himself the nickname ‘The King’ after breaking multiple records during his decorated career.
Minjee Lee receives the most love in response to articles about her, with 91% of reactions being love reactions
Article sentiment is a great way to see how an athlete is perceived in the media. That’s why we used Buzzsumo to find what percentage of reactions to coverage of each athlete are love reactions.
Rank | Athlete | Sport | Nationality | Article Sentiment (love reactions) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Minjee Lee | Golf | Australia | 91% |
2 | Leylah Fernandez | Tennis | Canada | 87% |
3 | Coco Gauff | Tennis | United States | 86% |
3 | Chun In-Gee | Golf | South Korea | 86% |
5 | Candace Parker | Basketball | United States | 85% |
6 | Lydia Ko | Golf | New Zealand | 82% |
7 | Sam Kerr | Soccer | Australia | 81% |
8 | Miguel Cabrera | Baseball | Venezuela | 78% |
8 | T.J. Watt | NFL | United States | 78% |
8 | Iga Swiatek | Tennis | Poland | 78% |
8 | Simone Biles | Gymnastics | United States | 78% |
12 | Rafael Nadal | Tennis | Spain | 76% |
12 | Naomi Osaka | Tennis | United States | 76% |
14 | Jayson Tatum | Basketball | United States | 75% |
14 | Jrue Holiday | Basketball | Dominican Republic | 75% |
16 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | United States | 74% |
16 | Emma Raducanu | Tennis | United Kingdom | 74% |
16 | Alexia Putellas | Soccer | Spain | 74% |
16 | Jessica Pegula | Tennis | United States | 74% |
20 | Carlos Alcaraz | Tennis | Spain | 73% |
20 | Klay Thompson | Basketball | United States | 73% |
20 | Manuel Neuer | Soccer | Germany | 73% |
20 | Alphonso Davies | Soccer | Canada | 73% |
24 | Andrew Wiggins | Basketball | Canada | 72% |
24 | Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | Soccer | Georgia | 72% |
24 | PV Sindhu | Badminton | India | 72% |
27 | Karim Benzema | Soccer | France | 71% |
28 | Victor Osimhen | Soccer | Nigeria | 70% |
28 | Asisat Oshoala | Soccer | Nigeria | 70% |
30 | Son Heung-min | Soccer | South Korea | 69% |
31 | Robert Lewandowski | Soccer | Poland | 67% |
31 | Josh Allen | NFL | United States | 67% |
31 | Riyad Mahrez | Soccer | Algeria | 67% |
34 | Patrick Mahomes | NFL | United States | 65% |
34 | Russell Wilson | NFL | United States | 65% |
34 | Damian Lillard | Basketball | United States | 65% |
34 | Chris Godwin | NFL | United States | 65% |
38 | Mohamed Salah | Soccer | Egypt | 64% |
39 | Sadio Mane | Soccer | Senegal | 63% |
40 | Kevin Love | Basketball | United States | 62% |
40 | Ryan Ramczyk | NFL | United States | 62% |
42 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Soccer | Portugal | 61% |
42 | Jude Bellingham | Soccer | United Kingdom | 61% |
42 | Luka Modric | Soccer | Croatia | 61% |
42 | Khris Middleton | Basketball | United States | 61% |
42 | Clayton Kershaw | Baseball | United States | 61% |
47 | Jordan Spieth | Golf | United States | 59% |
48 | Lionel Messi | Soccer | Argentina | 58% |
48 | Kevin De Bruyne | Soccer | Belgium | 58% |
48 | Trevor Lawrence | NFL | United States | 58% |
51 | Neymar | Soccer | Brazil | 57% |
51 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Basketball | Greece | 57% |
51 | Justin Verlander | Baseball | United States | 57% |
51 | Brandon Scherff | NFL | United States | 57% |
55 | Bradley Beal | Basketball | United States | 56% |
55 | Pascal Siakam | Basketball | Cameroon | 56% |
57 | Erling Haaland | Soccer | Norway | 55% |
58 | Virat Kohli | Cricket | India | 54% |
58 | Stefon Diggs | NFL | United States | 54% |
60 | Devin Booker | Basketball | United States | 53% |
60 | Chris Paul | Basketball | United States | 53% |
60 | James Rodriguez | Soccer | Colombia | 53% |
60 | Bryce Harper | Baseball | United States | 53% |
64 | Donovan Mitchell | Basketball | United States | 52% |
65 | Jamal Murray | Basketball | Canada | 51% |
65 | Von Miller | NFL | United States | 51% |
67 | Nikola Jokić | Basketball | Serbia | 50% |
68 | Jimmy Butler | Basketball | United States | 48% |
68 | CJ McCollum | Basketball | United States | 48% |
70 | Kris Bryant | Baseball | United States | 47% |
71 | Karl-Anthony Towns | Basketball | United States | 46% |
72 | Kylian Mbappé | Soccer | France | 44% |
72 | Tiger Woods | Golf | United States | 44% |
72 | Kirk Cousins | NFL | United States | 44% |
72 | Allen Robinson | NFL | United States | 44% |
76 | Paul Pogba | Soccer | France | 43% |
76 | D'Angelo Russell | Basketball | United States | 43% |
76 | Raheem Sterling | Soccer | United Kingdom | 43% |
76 | Matthew Stafford | NFL | United States | 43% |
76 | Sergio Perez | Formula 1 | Mexico | 43% |
81 | Rory McIlroy | Golf | Northern Ireland | 42% |
81 | Amari Cooper | NFL | United States | 42% |
83 | Russell Westbrook | Basketball | United States | 41% |
83 | Joel Embiid | Basketball | Cameroon | 41% |
85 | Kyrie Irving | Basketball | Australia | 40% |
85 | Mike Trout | Baseball | United States | 40% |
85 | Marshon Lattimore | NFL | United States | 40% |
88 | Max Verstappen | Formula 1 | Netherlands | 39% |
89 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | United States | 38% |
89 | Phil Mickelson | Golf | United States | 38% |
89 | Alex Morgan | Soccer | United States | 38% |
92 | Paul George | Basketball | United States | 37% |
93 | Gerrit Cole | Baseball | United States | 36% |
93 | Grady Jarrett | NFL | United States | 36% |
95 | Antoine Griezmann | Soccer | France | 35% |
96 | Gordon Hayward | Basketball | United States | 34% |
96 | Jamal Adams | NFL | United States | 34% |
96 | Stephen Strasburg | Baseball | United States | 34% |
99 | Lewis Hamilton | Formula 1 | United Kingdom | 33% |
99 | Alexis Sanchez | Soccer | Chile | 33% |
99 | Kawhi Leonard | Basketball | United States | 33% |
99 | Blake Griffin | Basketball | United States | 33% |
99 | Rudy Gobert | Basketball | France | 33% |
99 | David Price | Baseball | United States | 33% |
105 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | 32% |
105 | Novak Djokovic | Tennis | Serbia | 32% |
105 | Dak Prescott | NFL | United States | 32% |
105 | Davante Adams | NFL | United States | 32% |
109 | Brandon Ingram | Basketball | United States | 31% |
110 | Aaron Rodgers | NFL | United States | 29% |
110 | James Harden | Basketball | United States | 29% |
112 | Mike Williams | NFL | United States | 28% |
113 | Trevor Bauer | Baseball | United States | 27% |
113 | Xavien Howard | NFL | United States | 27% |
115 | Tyson Fury | Boxing | United Kingdom | 26% |
116 | Deshaun Watson | NFL | United States | 25% |
117 | Tobias Harris | Basketball | United States | 23% |
117 | Jonathan Allen | NFL | United States | 23% |
117 | Megan Rapinoe | Soccer | United States | 23% |
120 | Kristaps Porziņģis | Basketball | Latvia | 22% |
121 | Canelo Álvarez | Boxing | Mexico | 21% |
122 | Manny Machado | Baseball | United States | 19% |
123 | Conor McGregor | MMA | Ireland | 18% |
124 | Jake Paul | Boxing | United States | 11% |
#N/A | Anthony Davis | Basketball | United States |
Minjee Lee - 91% love reactions
Taking the top spot is Minjee Lee, with fans reacting with the love reaction 91% of the time. Lee is a nine-time LPGA tour winner and a two-time LPGA major championship winner, having won the Evian Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open in 2021 and 2022 respectively. In 2023, the Australian golfer was ranked as the sixth-best in the world, dropping two places from her 2022 ranking.
Leylah Fernandez - 87% love reactions
In second place is Leylah Fernandez, with 87% of reactions she receives being love reactions. The 21-year-old made her professional debut in 2019, and reached the final of the U.S. Open two years later. Unfortunately, the Canadian lost to Emma Raducanu in straight sets. However, her victories against Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber in that tournament made her one of the most exciting prospects in tennis.
Coco Gauff/Chun In-Gee - 86% love reactions
Our top three is completed by two athletes, Coco Gauff and Chun In-Gee, with 86% of reactions being love.
Coco Gauff turned professional in 2018 at the age of 14-years-old. It was at this age when she won her first professional match, playing in the ITF Women’s Circuit earning herself a wild card into qualifying for the US Open, a tournament she would win five years later.
Chun In-Gee is a record-breaking golfer, who has won four LPGA tours. She was the first player in history to win three different tours in the same calendar year, winning in Japan, Korea, and the United States in 2015. One year later, Chun won the Evian Championship with a score of 21 under par, the lowest winning score in a major tournament.
The most searched female athlete is Iga Swiatek, with 15.6 million searches over the last 12 months
To reveal the most popular female athletes, we’ve looked at the total number of searches between September 2022 and August 2023.
Rank | Athlete | Sport | Nationality | Total Searches (September 2022 - August 2023) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Iga Swiatek | Tennis | Poland | 15.6m |
2 | Coco Gauff | Tennis | United States | 10.1m |
3 | Emma Raducanu | Tennis | United Kingdom | 9.6m |
4 | Alexia Putellas | Soccer | Spain | 7.8m |
5 | Alex Morgan | Soccer | United States | 7.1m |
6 | Sam Kerr | Soccer | Australia | 6.9m |
7 | Simone Biles | Gymnastics | United States | 6.3m |
8 | Megan Rapinoe | Soccer | United States | 5.5m |
9 | Naomi Osaka | Tennis | Japan | 5.4m |
10 | Jessica Pegula | Tennis | United States | 4.3m |
11 | Leylah Fernandez | Tennis | Canada | 3.1m |
12 | Candace Parker | Basketball | United States | 2.4m |
13 | PV Sindhu | Badminton | India | 2.2m |
14 | Lydia Ko | Golf | New Zealand | 1.8m |
15 | Asisat Oshoala | Soccer | Nigeria | 0.6m |
16 | Minjee Lee | Golf | Australia | 0.6m |
17 | Chun In-Gee | Golf | South Korea | 0.2m |
Iga Swiatek - 15.6 million Google searches in the last year
Iga Swiatek is the most searched female athlete in the world, with 15.6 million Google searches in the last 12 months. In 2022, Swiatek became the world’s No. 1 and became just the fourth player in WTA history to hold the ranking for more than 40 consecutive weeks in their first stint as the top-ranked player.
Coco Gauff - 10.1 million Google searches in the last year
In second place, with 10.1 million Google searches in the last year, is Coco Guaff. The 19-year-old tennis player is currently ranked third in the world, and already holds six titles to her name as well as a win percentage of almost 70%.
Emma Raducanu - 9.6 million Google searches in the last year
Emma Raducanu concludes an all-tennis top three, with 9.6 million Google searches in the last year. Raducanu burst onto the tennis scene at the US Open, where the 20-year-old had to play three matches in the qualifying tournament to enter the main draw. Despite being ranked 150th in the World, Raducanu won the US Open defeating Leylah Fernandez in the final. She became the first British woman to reach the final of the US Open since 1968.
![US Open Tennis Betting Picks Preview, Trends & Analysis](https://olbgimages.co.uk/image-cache?src=https://olbgimages.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/tennis/tennis_8.jpg&w=450&h=253.125&zc=1)
US Open Tennis Betting Picks Preview, Trends & Analysis
Searches for Coco Gauff have risen by 509%, more than any other female athlete
We’ve looked at the year-on-year increases for each female athlete in our list, to find out which athletes have risen the most in popularity.
Rank | Athlete | Sport | Nationality | YoY Increase |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Coco Gauff | Tennis | United States | 509% |
2 | Alexia Putellas | Soccer | Spain | 174% |
3 | Minjee Lee | Golf | Australia | 124% |
3 | Simone Biles | Gymnastics | United States | 124% |
5 | Leylah Fernandez | Tennis | Canada | 83% |
5 | Megan Rapinoe | Soccer | United States | 83% |
7 | Asisat Oshoala | Soccer | Nigeria | 50% |
8 | Alex Morgan | Soccer | United States | 22% |
9 | Naomi Osaka | Tennis | Japan | 0% |
10 | Candace Parker | Basketball | United States | -18% |
10 | Jessica Pegula | Tennis | United States | -18% |
10 | Sam Kerr | Soccer | Australia | -18% |
13 | Lydia Ko | Golf | New Zealand | -19% |
14 | PV Sindhu | Badminton | India | -33% |
15 | Chun In-Gee | Golf | South Korea | -45% |
16 | Iga Swiatek | Tennis | Poland | -55% |
17 | Emma Raducanu | Tennis | United Kingdom | -63% |
Coco Gauff - 509% year-on-year increase in Google searches
Taking the top spot is Coco Gauff, with a whopping 509% increase in Google searches in the last year. Many performances contributed to Gauff’s meteoric rise in tennis, but her start to the 2020 Australian Open particularly stood out. In the first round, she defeated tennis legend Venus Williams in straight sets, before progressing to the third round where she defeated Naomi Osaka, who was the defending champion.
Alexia Putellas - 174% year-on-year increase in Google searches
In second place is Alexia Putellas, with a year-on-year increase of 174% in Google searches. Putellas is a two-time Ballon d’Or winner, with consecutive wins in 2021 and 2022. After missing most of the 2022/23 season recovering from an ACL injury, Putellas has not made the shortlist for the 2023 award. Putellas was part of the Spain squad that won the World Cup, defeating England 1-0 in the final. However, her involvement was limited as she was brought on in the 90th minute of the game.
Minjee Lee/Simone Biles - 124% year-on-year increase in Google searches
Minjee Lee and Simone Biles complete our top three, sharing a year-on-year increase of 124%.
Minjee Lee’s amateur career was certainly an indication of her potential. As a year 9 student at college, Lee became the youngest winner of the WA Amateur Open. Four years later, in 2010, she became the number one ranked amateur golfer, holding the title until turning professional.
Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history, with seven Olympic medals, and 30 World Championship medals. She is tied with Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals won by an American Gymnast, and at 26 years of age, it’s expected that she will make this record her own. She also just fell short of winning a Laureus World Sport Award in 2022
These are the most searched athletes across each of their major sports, with up to 200 million
There were 12 different sports which made our seeding list, and we’ve found out the most searched athlete for each one. Below are the faces of each sport.
Soccer had the athlete with the most Google searches, as Cristiano Ronaldo accumulated 200 million in the last 12 months. Basketball and Cricket had the second and third highest number of searches, with Lebron James and Virat Kohli taking the top spot in those sports. After his Wimbledon win, Carlos Alcaraz takes the top spot, beating Novak Djokovic as he did in the final. Jake Paul coming out on top in the boxing list is one of the most surprising selections in our list, beating Canelo Alvarez and Tyson Fury.
Methodology
We used Sportico and Forbes’ list of the highest-paid athletes in the world. We then removed any retired athletes and included some of our own additions.
We then used Google’s Keyword Planner to find the athletes with the most searches, and the female athletes with the biggest year-on-year increase.
Using our seeding list, we created another list of countries based on the nationalities of the players who made our original seeding list. We then used Google’s Keyword Planner again to find the most searched athletes in each country.
We then used Instagram to see the athletes with the most followers.
Finally, we used BuzzSumo to find the article sentiment for each player, taking the percentage of reactions that are love reactions.
Data is accurate as of 02/10/2023.
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