Football is king in the United States. The most followed sport.

Soccer is the top sport around the rest of the world, followed but other international sports that rank ahead of football.

However, no one can deny the reach of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees around the globe. He made the cut of ESPN's World Fame 100 list released earlier today.

The list compiled by ESPN The Magazine used endorsements, social media reach, salary and google search popularity to create the rankings.

Soccer star Christiano Ronaldo ranked #1, followed by NBA star LeBron James at #2. The first football player on the list is Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton at #32.

Brees ranks #44, third highest among active NFL players. Former LSU Tigers wide receiver and New Orleans native Odell Beckham Jr., currently a wide receiver with the New York Giants, came in at #40.

Another New Orleans native, former NFL QB Peyton Manning, made the list at #38.

Surprisingly, New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis did not make the list, while NBA players such as Kings forward Rudy Gay did.

16 NFL players made the cut, the second most among professional sports. Soccer landed 17 athletes, while the NBA had the most with 20.

View the entire ESPN World Fame 100 list by clicking here.

 

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