Upon surveying the nation alongside YouGov, Sky Bet have compiled a 32-person shortlist featuring history’s most lauded athletes across 17 sports.
The original shortlist - which included the likes of NBA icon Michael Jordan, golf great Tiger Woods, tennis royalty the Williams sisters and swimming sensation Michael Phelps - has now been whittled down to four.
And a spate of fans are saying the same thing as Cristiano Ronaldo swept past Pele to make one of the semi-finals.
Semi-final 1: Muhammad Ali vs Lionel Messi
Indeed, whether it be for his dominance in the ring, charisma before the press, or pioneering social justice work during an era when African-Americans were treated as second-class citizens, Ali is considered among the best to grace any sport.
Known by the epithet ‘The Greatest’, Ali held the Ring magazine heavyweight title from 1964 to 1970, was the undisputed champion from 1974 to 1978, and the WBA and Ring heavyweight champion from 1978 to 1979.
He also lent his loud, eloquent and challenging voice to America’s then-burgeoning civil rights and anti-Vietnam war movements - with major consequences on his boxing career. His decision in 1967 to refuse to serve in Vietnam saw him stripped of his titles and not box for over three years. Such sacrifice sees Ali not merely recognised as a sporting great, but also in some quarters, as a giant of history.
However, Messi is a worthy opponent. By lifting the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, the pint-sized Argentine put in place the final jigsaw of arguably the greatest footballing CV in history.
Some may have once doubted that Messi, a painfully-shy teenager with a growth hormone deficiency, would go on to become the most decorated player in football history (45 trophies).
But from the moment he stepped onto a pitch, it was clear that his talents were super-natural. With Messi the numbers tell their own story - over 850 senior goals for club and country, 12 top-flight titles, four Champions League crowns and a record eight Ballon d’Ors.
The aforementioned World Cup win at his fifth and likely final attempt was the cherry on top of the icing, the crowning moment, the day he rose from Diego Maradona’s shadow and became a sporting icon.
Semi-final 2: Usain Bolt vs Cristiano Ronaldo.
Few things make more satisfying viewing than a person running very fast, and Bolt ran faster than anyone.
The enigmatic Jamaican sprinter claimed eight gold medals across three Olympics, recorded an enduring 9.58 seconds world record 100m time, a world record over 200m and a world record in the sprint relay.
Whether it be in China, London or Brazil, as a 21-year-old starlet or as a weary veteran with hamstrings prone to popping, Bolt conquered all before him, and did so donning a smile from the blocks to the finish line.
Watching Bolt was the best thrill in town. It was also the briefest.
But watching Ronaldo play football is perhaps just as thrilling. Like his great rival Messi, it would have been impossible to have predicted the extent of Ronaldo’s greatness, or its endurance.
The Portugal star made his Sporting debut before the invention of Facebook, and joined United four years before the first iPhone was unveiled.
In the almost 1,300 games since, from Old Trafford to Madrid, to Turin and then Riyadh, Ronaldo transformed from wiry winger to history’s most efficient goalscorer, recognised by five Ballon d’Ors. At 40-year-old he’s still finding the net for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.
There are many staggering markers of Ronaldo’s longevity. For one, he has been involved in more than 30 percent of the matches ever played by his national team, Portugal. Moreover, he scored more goals in his 30s - 460 - than he managed in his 20s - 440.
Ronaldo has scored close to 1000 goals and broken every record conceivable. He is certainly among the top two players of his generation and by his own concession, the greatest player who has ever lived.
Ronaldo vs Messi final?
Of course, with Ronaldo and Messi both among the last four, a spate of fans on social media believe the pair will face one another in the final.
Writing on X, one person said: “Ronaldo vs. Messi final it seems”.
Another added, alongside the popcorn emoji: “This tournament could develop into a Ronaldo vs Messi final…”
A third said: “It's gonna be a Messi Ronaldo final because of how big the fan bases are.
“And I'd presume Ronaldo has a bigger fanbase and will win.”
Vote in Sky Bet’s GOAT tournament on X.
Thomas Thorn