Tadej Pogačar named as one of 100 most influential people in sport for 2026 alongside World Cup stars Messi and Ronaldo

World champion Tadej Pogačar is one of the 100 most influential people in sport in 2026, according to Time magazine.

The Tour de France winner made the 2026 list, released on Tuesday, in the ‘Icons’ section, alongside athletes like Lionel Messi, Mikaela Shiffrin and Carlos Alcaraz. Other categories in the 2026 list include ‘Titans’, ‘Innovators’ and ‘Leaders’.

Winner of the Tour de France for the fourth time in 2025 and becoming world champion for the second time, plus winning four out of five Monuments in a row, Pogačar arguably had his most successful 12 months yet in the run-up to making Time’s list.

“A four-time champion of the Tour de France—including the last two editions of the world’s premier cycling event—Tadej Pogačar, 27, can win anywhere on two wheels: Grand Tours, one-week stage races, one-day classics, world-championship road races, and individual time trials. He can win across cobble or gravel and is a master uphill climber,” is how the magazine described the Slovenian.

You may like

In a Winter Olympic year, Pogačar is joined on the list by several Winter Olympians like Alysa Liu, Mikaela Shiffrin and Hilary Knight, as well as tennis stars Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner, footballers Aitana Bonmati, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and new marathon world record holder Sebastian Sawe.

Previous cyclists to make Time’s overall 100 most influential people list include Lance Armstrong, who was named in the ‘Heroes & Pioneers’ section in 2008.

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

Though cycling has struggled to cut through to the mainstream in the way that Armstrong did before his doping admission cast a shadow on his career, Pogačar’s numerous exploits have begun to do that and he is starting to be recognised on the world stage.

Earlier this year, he was nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award, which was ultimately won by Alcaraz.

This summer, he has the chance to join a small group of cycling and sporting greats by winning his fifth Tour de France title, a feat only four other men have achieved.