The 25 most popular athletes of 2017

Denis Doyle/Getty

ESPN released its ranking of the most popular athletes in the world back in May, and once again, Cristiano Ronaldo was at the top of the list.

The list was compiled by Ben Alamar, ESPN’s director of analytics. He devised a formula that weighs factors like endorsements, social media following, and internet search popularity to sift through thousands of athletes, and the result was a rundown of the biggest international superstars in sports.

Below, take a look at the top 25 best-known athletes. The list includes six tennis players, five soccer players, four basketball players, four golfers, two fighters, two cricket players, a quarterback, and a track star.