--- description: The 2026 TIME100 Sports: TIME's list of the 100 most influential people in sports. title: TIME100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt861bbe96468ec85b/6a230897a967b581bb271406/Social-1600x2400.jpg?branch=production ---  # The 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026 From athletes and coaches to advocates and investors, these are the people shaping sports today [How we chose the list](/article/2026/06/04/how-we-chose-time100-sports/) * All * ICONS * TITANS * INNOVATORS * LEADERS ## Icons *  [How LeBron James Redefined the Modern Athlete](/collection/time100-sports/2026/lebron-james/) bySean Gregory/El Segundo, Calif. *  [Hilary Knight](/collection/time100-sports/2026/hilary-knight/) bySean Gregory *  [Lionel Messi](/collection/time100-sports/2026/lionel-messi/) bySean Gregory *  [Eileen Gu](/collection/time100-sports/2026/eileen-gu/) bySean Gregory *  [Roger Goodell](/collection/time100-sports/2026/roger-goodell/) bySean Gregory *  [Ilia Malinin](/collection/time100-sports/2026/ilia-malinin/) byAlice Park *  [Jannik Sinner](/collection/time100-sports/2026/jannik-sinner/) bySean Gregory *  [A'ja Wilson](/collection/time100-sports/2026/aja-wilson/) bySean Gregory *  [Lando Norris](/collection/time100-sports/2026/lando-norris/) bySean Gregory *  [Shohei Ohtani](/collection/time100-sports/2026/shohei-ohtani/) bySean Gregory *  [Carlos Alcaraz](/collection/time100-sports/2026/carlos-alcaraz/) bySean Gregory *  [Nikki Hiltz](/collection/time100-sports/2026/nikki-hiltz/) byRebecca Schneid *  [Caitlin Clark](/collection/time100-sports/2026/caitlin-clark/) bySean Gregory *  [Saquon Barkley](/collection/time100-sports/2026/saquon-barkley/) bySean Gregory *  [Marie-Philip Poulin](/collection/time100-sports/2026/marie-philip-poulin/) byAvery Stone *  [Oksana Masters](/collection/time100-sports/2026/oksana-masters/) bySean Gregory *  [Mondo Duplantis](/collection/time100-sports/2026/mondo-duplantis/) bySean Gregory *  [Mikaela Shiffrin](/collection/time100-sports/2026/mikaela-shiffrin/) bySean Gregory *  [Dawn Staley](/collection/time100-sports/2026/dawn-staley/) bySean Gregory *  [Jordan Stolz](/collection/time100-sports/2026/jordan-stolz/) bySean Gregory *  [Aitana Bonmatí](/collection/time100-sports/2026/aitana-bonmati/) bySean Gregory *  [Mandy Horvath](/collection/time100-sports/2026/mandy-horvath/) byAlice Park *  [Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok](/collection/time100-sports/2026/lee-faker-sang-hyeok/) bySean Gregory *  [Portia Woodman-Wickliffe](/collection/time100-sports/2026/portia-woodman-wickliffe/) byScott Allen *  [Rayssa Leal](/collection/time100-sports/2026/rayssa-leal/) byScott Allen *  [Tadej Pogacar](/collection/time100-sports/2026/tadej-pogacar/) bySean Gregory ## Titans *  [Trinity Rodman](/collection/time100-sports/2026/trinity-rodman/) bySean Gregory *  [Victor Wembanyama](/collection/time100-sports/2026/victor-wembanyama/) bySean Gregory *  [Rory McIlroy](/collection/time100-sports/2026/rory-mcilroy/) bySean Gregory *  [Aaron Judge](/collection/time100-sports/2026/aaron-judge/) bySean Gregory *  [Amanda Serrano](/collection/time100-sports/2026/amanda-serrano/) byScott Allen *  [Cristiano Ronaldo](/collection/time100-sports/2026/cristiano-ronaldo/) bySean Gregory *  [Jaxon Smith-Njigba](/collection/time100-sports/2026/jaxon-smith-njigba/) bySean Gregory *  [Alex Morgan](/collection/time100-sports/2026/alex-morgan/) byScott Allen *  [Mike Tirico](/collection/time100-sports/2026/mike-tirico/) byScott Allen *  [Nneka Ogwumike](/collection/time100-sports/2026/nneka-ogwumike/) bySean Gregory *  [Erling Haaland](/collection/time100-sports/2026/erling-haaland/) bySean Gregory *  [Jeeno Thitikul](/collection/time100-sports/2026/jeeno-thitikul/) bySean Gregory *  [Curt Cignetti](/collection/time100-sports/2026/curt-cignetti/) bySean Gregory *  [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander](/collection/time100-sports/2026/shai-gilgeous-alexander/) bySean Gregory *  [Smriti Mandhana](/collection/time100-sports/2026/smriti-mandhana/) byCharlie Campbell *  [Mellody Hobson](/collection/time100-sports/2026/mellody-hobson/) bySean Gregory *  [Cherie DeVaux](/collection/time100-sports/2026/cherie-devaux/) bySean Gregory *  [David Mulugheta](/collection/time100-sports/2026/david-mulugheta/) byTashan Reed *  [Diana Flores](/collection/time100-sports/2026/diana-flores/) byTashan Reed *  [Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo](/collection/time100-sports/2026/johannes-hoesflot-klaebo/) bySean Gregory *  [Asisat Oshoala](/collection/time100-sports/2026/asisat-oshoala/) byMichael Errigo *  [Jack Hughes](/collection/time100-sports/2026/jack-hughes/) bySean Gregory *  [Kristin Juszczyk](/collection/time100-sports/2026/kristin-juszczyk/) byAvery Stone *  [Temba Bavuma](/collection/time100-sports/2026/temba-bavuma/) byCharlie Campbell ## Project Credits * Project leads:Lori Fradkin, Cate Matthews, Mark Selig, and Avery Stone * Art and design:Rich Morgan * Audience:Diana Elbasha, Helen Ray, Kitty Ruskin, Kari Sonde, and Alyona Uvarova * Contributors:Scott Allen, Charlie Campbell, Leslie Dickstein, Michael Errigo, Sean Gregory, Charlotte Hu, Alice Park, Tashan Reed, Rebecca Schneid, and Simmone Shah * Digital:Nadia Suleman * Editors:Merrill Fabry, Lily Rothman, and Karl Vick * Photo:Naomy Pedroza and Ava Selbach * Video:Andrew Johnson, Brian Braganza, Joey Lautrup, Jeannie Kopstein, and Alexandra Robson TIME100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026 ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"CollectionPage","@id":"https://time.com/collection/time100-sports/2026/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collection/time100-sports/2026/"},"headline":"The 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026","description":"See TIME's inaugural list of the 100 most influential people in sports.","url":"https://time.com/collection/time100-sports/2026/","datePublished":"2026-06-09T13:07:55.803Z","dateModified":"2026-06-09T13:05:59.571Z","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156}},"mainEntity":{"@type":"ItemList","numberOfItems":99,"itemListOrder":"Descending"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt861bbe96468ec85b/6a230897a967b581bb271406/Social-1600x2400.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/sports/","name":"Sports"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collection/time100-sports/2026/","name":"The 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026"}}]}] ```