LOS ANGELES: Barcelona´s Brazilian superstar Neymar, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James were among seven sports figures named Thursday in Time Magazine´s annual list of the world´s most influential people.
Polarizing NFL free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick also appeared on the list that included pioneers, artists and leaders.
Chicago Cubs general manager Theo Epstein, 2016 Olympic gold-medal gymnast Simone Biles and Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion Conor McGregor were also on the list of 100.
Neymar, who joined Barcelona from Santos in 2013, is widely viewed as the player most likely to take over from Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the game’s stand-out performer.
An appreciation written by England icon David Beckham calls Neymar “a once in a generation type of footballer”.
“He is a young man who at 25 is well on his way to becoming the best player in the world,” the former England captain writes in Time Magazine.
“A once-in-a-generation type of footballer who has fans on their feet whenever he gets the ball.”
Beckham also lauds the 25-year-old forward´s humility and his ability to cope with the expectations heaped on him as the talisman of the national team in football-mad Brazil.
Brady collected his fifth Super Bowl ring in February after helping the Patriots overcome a 25-point deficit in the third quarter to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime of Super Bowl 51.
“But Tom´s real achievement is that he willed himself to be (the best),” US talk show host Conan O´Brien wrote of Brady.
