Famous football names like Messi, Guardiola and Haaland appear on the list of the 50 most influential figures in sport in 2024.
Sports Illustrated is back with a new edition of its list of the 50 most influential figures in the world of sport . The prestigious magazine, published since August 1954, brings together some of the most important names of 2024 when it comes to talking about the impact they have both on and off the field. If we stick to football alone, important names such as Lionel Messi , Pep Guardiola and Erling Haaland emerge.
What does Sports Illustrated define as an influential figure in sports? The magazine states that each of the names present in its general table is characterized by leadership and great achievements. Also by the impact they have on society when they perform away from a track or football field. Taking into account dozens of disciplines, they choose the figure of LeBron James from the Los Angeles Lakers as the first to mention in the year 2024.
If we look at football alone, the first to appear is Pep Guardiola. The Manchester City manager is ranked 7th in the table published by the magazine. The magazine claims that his influence on other new coaches such as Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso, Enzo Maresca and Vincent Kompany speaks of a school in every sense. Equally, his role as an activist away from the pitch is highlighted, as well as the desire to imitate his football that has emerged throughout Europe since he reached the elite in 2008.
The top ten is completed by none other than Lionel Messi. Although the Rosario-born player’s career is drawing to a close every day, there is talk of a legacy in terms of numbers and behaviour that few names will be able to match in the future. The former Barcelona player is defined as an icon in terms of sports personality. Likewise, Sports Illustrated hopes that his arrival in the MLS with Inter Miami will totally revolutionise the tournament in the coming years.
Who’s next? Well, in 24th and 25th place we find two former Borussia Dortmund teammates. Jude Bellingham and Haaland make the Sports Illustrated list as two of the most iconic players of the new generation that is already here. Of course, their ability to break records of all kinds and their complete influence on national teams such as England or Norway stand out. Florentino Pérez, the Saudi Arabian investment fund or women’s football clubs in the United States such as Angel City FC sneak into the list of the 50 most important personalities of 2024.
The big absences from Sports Illustrated’s list
It is difficult to get in, considering that there were only 50 places available. It was surprising for various media outlets, such as fan forums, that big names like Cristiano Ronaldo and Vinicius were not part of the final selection. The boom caused by the arrival of the Portuguese to the first division of Saudi Arabia or the role of the Real Madrid striker in advocating for human rights, were for some enough to get into this nomination.
Other great personalities named by Sports Illustrated
We repeat that we are not only talking about football but about all kinds of sports activities. Names such as Tiger Woods, Simone Biles, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Carlos Alcaraz and of course Formula 1 drivers such as Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton stand out in the list and are in very high positions.
