re: D-Wade on what the "number one sport in the world " is

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Are these real people or are you just making this up.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xabi_Alonso
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xavi

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Also why isnt this thread on the Soccer board?

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Because we love to pick on insecure people like you.

Would you call Rory McIlroy a superstar? This is the kind of thing that makes for so much disagreement in threads like this, aside from general idiocy. There are a bunch of different metrics being used to define a superstar.

Being a premier athlete in a sport does not automatically qualify someone as a superstar IMO, because I think that superstardom is not a position like MVP that necessarily is filled every year. You have players like Tiger Woods whose persona permeates global culture in such a way that he becomes recognizable in countries that previously gave two shits about golf.

Now Spain has many of the greatest players in the world, but players like Iniesta aren't superstars in my book bc their fame doesn't extend beyond those who were already paying attention. You aren't very likely to know who Iniesta is as an American who doesn't watch soccer. You are much more likely to know who Messi, Ronaldo, and Beckham are because of the media attention payed to them.

Falcao may be a superstar by your definition, well and good. But if you claim him to compare to Messi, Ronaldo, Kobe, and LeBron, then please refrain from voicing future opinions until you develop some common sense.

Absolutely agree. Those players create a media blitz that promotes them to a wider audience than other players of their caliber. That kind of promotion helps them achieve levels of popularity beyond what their skills alone dictate.

ETA: I think Kobe is probably more recognized outside the US than Ronaldinho bc of his longevity with the Lakers and the publicity of the rape scandal. He's been an American icon for so long that he is probably the most recognized American athlete overseas. LeBron is still picking up steam, and Tiger has fallen off these last few years, so that's be my guess.

Yeah it's pretty funny that Totti is so high, I guess that's a product of him playing domestically for the past decade or so and that world cup win. He is all but irrelevant globally now haha.