- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 2010–active
- Country
- 🇿🇦 South Africa
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 72.0
GOAT Rank · 4154
Greatest male of all time
This ranking is led by Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Phelps. GOAT Rank currently ranks 4154 eligible athletes using verified career records across dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Quick answer
According to GOAT Rank's current model, Lionel Messi ranks #1 on this list with a GOAT Score of 97.0.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →#AthleteGOAT Score
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1989–2003
- Country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Swimming
- Career
- 1999–2016
- Country
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 2008–active
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1946–1967
- Country
- 🇭🇺 Hungary
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 2004–2022
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1970–1983
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1978–1993
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1929–1938
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1938–1950
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1996–2014
- Country
- 🇦🇷 Argentina
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 80.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1969–1982
- Country
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1910–1928
- Country
- 🇫🇷 France
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1947–1956
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 2012–active
- Country
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 70.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1976–1997
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 84.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 96.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1924–1948
- Country
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 2004–2021
- Country
- 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1965–1976
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 72.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1973–1990
- Country
- 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1928–1938
- Country
- 🇨🇺 Cuba
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 2006–2022
- Country
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 96.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1962–1986
- Country
- 🏴 Scotland
- Peak
- 84.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 76.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2009–active
- Country
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- Peak
- 84.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 76.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1960–1968
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 2005–2017
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 2007–active
- Country
- 🇯🇲 Jamaica
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1987–2004
- Country
- 🇲🇪 Montenegro
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1936–1950
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 76.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1879–1900
- Country
- 🇬🇧 England
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1876–1891
- Country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1941–1955
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2007–2024
- Country
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 85.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1981–2001
- Country
- 🇯🇲 Jamaica
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1970–1988
- Country
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 2011–active
- Country
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 2013–active
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 2003–2015
- Country
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1969–1985
- Country
- 🇵🇰 Pakistan
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1951–1963
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1958–1972
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2001–2022
- Country
- 🇷🇺 Russia
- Peak
- 85.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 78.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1971–1992
- Country
- 🇵🇰 Pakistan
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 2004–2020
- Country
- 🇮🇳 India
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1990–2005
- Country
- 🇩🇰 Denmark
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1998–2010
- Country
- 🇵🇰 Pakistan
- Peak
- 98.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 96.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1982–2000
- Country
- 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1979–1999
- Country
- 🏴 England
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 80.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2000–2017
- Country
- 🇵🇹 Portugal
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 76.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1933–1950
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
| # | Athlete | Sport | Country | Career | GOAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 799 | Wayde van Niekerk | Athletics | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 2010–active | 82.9 |
| 800 | Lennox Lewis | Boxing | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1989–2003 | 82.9 |
| 801 | Kosuke Kitajima | Swimming | 🇯🇵 Japan | 1999–2016 | 82.9 |
| 802 | Terence Crawford | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 2008–active | 82.9 |
| 804 | László Kubala | Football | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 1946–1967 | 82.9 |
| 805 | Dwight Howard | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 2004–2022 | 82.9 |
| 807 | Dave Cowens | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1970–1983 | 82.9 |
| 808 | Maurice Cheeks | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1978–1993 | 82.9 |
| 809 | Barney Ross | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1929–1938 | 82.9 |
| 811 | Buddy Jeannette | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1938–1950 | 82.9 |
| 812 | Juan Román Riquelme | Football | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 1996–2014 | 82.9 |
| 816 | Miguel Canto | Boxing | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 1969–1982 | 82.9 |
| 817 | Eugène Criqui | Boxing | 🇫🇷 France | 1910–1928 | 82.9 |
| 821 | Rocky Marciano | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1947–1956 | 82.8 |
| 822 | Naoya Inoue | Boxing | 🇯🇵 Japan | 2012–active | 82.8 |
| 825 | Robert Parish | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1976–1997 | 82.8 |
| 826 | Max Schmeling | Boxing | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1924–1948 | 82.8 |
| 827 | Lasith Malinga | Cricket | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 2004–2021 | 82.8 |
| 828 | Billy Cunningham | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1965–1976 | 82.8 |
| 829 | Wilfredo Benítez | Boxing | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 1973–1990 | 82.8 |
| 830 | Kid Chocolate | Boxing | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 1928–1938 | 82.8 |
| 831 | Ross Taylor | Cricket | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 2006–2022 | 82.8 |
| 834 | Peter Lorimer | Football | 🏴 Scotland | 1962–1986 | 82.8 |
| 835 | Koke Resurrección | Football | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2009–active | 82.8 |
| 837 | Ralph Boston | Athletics | 🇺🇸 United States | 1960–1968 | 82.8 |
| 838 | Tyson Gay | Athletics | 🇺🇸 United States | 2005–2017 | 82.8 |
| 839 | Yohan Blake | Athletics | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 2007–active | 82.8 |
| 841 | Predrag Mijatović | Football | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 1987–2004 | 82.8 |
| 842 | Charley Burley | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1936–1950 | 82.8 |
| 843 | Johnny Briggs | Cricket | 🇬🇧 England | 1879–1900 | 82.8 |
| 844 | Jem Carney | Boxing | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1876–1891 | 82.8 |
| 845 | Billy Graham | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1941–1955 | 82.8 |
| 847 | Diego da Silva Costa | Football | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2007–2024 | 82.8 |
| 848 | Courtney Walsh | Cricket | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 1981–2001 | 82.7 |
| 849 | Carlos Zárate | Boxing | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 1970–1988 | 82.7 |
| 850 | Trent Boult | Cricket | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 2011–active | 82.7 |
| 854 | Gervonta Davis | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 2013–active | 82.7 |
| 855 | Michael Clarke | Cricket | 🇦🇺 Australia | 2003–2015 | 82.7 |
| 856 | Zaheer Abbas | Cricket | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 1969–1985 | 82.7 |
| 859 | Gene Fullmer | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1951–1963 | 82.7 |
| 860 | Curtis Cokes | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1958–1972 | 82.7 |
| 862 | Yuri Zhirkov | Football | 🇷🇺 Russia | 2001–2022 | 82.7 |
| 863 | Imran Khan | Cricket | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 1971–1992 | 82.6 |
| 864 | MS Dhoni | Cricket | 🇮🇳 India | 2004–2020 | 82.6 |
| 866 | Wilson Kipketer | Athletics | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 1990–2005 | 82.6 |
| 868 | Mohammad Yousuf | Cricket | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 1998–2010 | 82.6 |
| 869 | Arjuna Ranatunga | Cricket | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 1982–2000 | 82.6 |
| 870 | Peter Beardsley | Football | 🏴 England | 1979–1999 | 82.6 |
| 871 | Ricardo Carvalho | Football | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 2000–2017 | 82.6 |
| 873 | Bobby McDermott | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1933–1950 | 82.6 |
Compare the leaders
Lionel Messi vs Cristiano RonaldoRead the full methodology
Sport lists use the raw In-Sport GOAT Score. Cross-sport lists use the official competition-depth adjustment. No scores are recalculated for this page.
Read the full methodologyFrequently asked questions
How is this ranking calculated?
Five verified components are weighted consistently: dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Who is included?
According to GOAT Rank's current data model, only verified athletes with sufficient career history, metrics, honours and independent sources are eligible. Rank and score are read live.
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