The world's most searched athletes on Google in 2024 coincided with some of the year's biggest events, including boxing's most-watched comeback of all time.
World Series contenders the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers topped Google's list of most searched sports teams that year, but both teams' megastars Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani is not included in the list of individual athletes.
Instead, those spots were reserved for boxers, Olympians, soccer players, and cricket stars.
Topping the list of world No. 1s was Olympic gold medal boxer Imane Kerif. Kerif was accused of punching a woman who was on her way to winning gold in the women's 66kg category.
Searches for Kerif peaked between July 28 and August 3, starting around the time it was revealed that two boxers who failed gender tests would be competing in the Olympics.
Multiple sources, including the International Boxing Association and the World Boxing Organization, have claimed that Kerif is male. The two researchers also cited medical studies that claim that Kerif has male genitalia and XY chromosomes.
Despite this wealth of evidence, Kerif denied all charges and claimed that they were simply the product of a hate campaign.
Another boxer who garnered a lot of love and almost as much search was Mike Tyson, number two. Tyson made his breakthrough comeback at the age of 58 with a live boxing special on Netflix.
Tyson dominated google Rumors then swirled about the authenticity of the fight, and a Saudi entertainment executive offered Tyson a whopping $700 million for a rematch.
Paul himself was ranked 5th in the world rankings. listwhich reached its peak in popularity in the same time frame. However, the young boxer lost to Ramin Yamal, number 3 in the world search rankings.
Yamal, who joined top-flight club Barcelona at just 16 years old, was searched throughout the year. Yamal further entered the spotlight around the world after appearing in the Euro 2024 international tournament.
Olympic gold medalist gymnast Simone Biles appeared in fourth place after another successful stint representing the red, white and blue.
Biles won three golds and one silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has consistently been in the headlines as she has openly talked about her mental health issues. She is also married to NFL player Jonathan Owens, which definitely brings some crossover appeal to soccer fans.
Simone Biles poses with her four medals at the Paris Olympics. She was the fourth most Googled athlete in 2024.Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Other soccer players such as Nico Williams and Rodrigo Hernández Cascante also made it into the top 10, along with several popular cricketers. However, it was American golfer Scottie Scheffler who finished eighth.
Scheffler had one of the wildest times of any athlete, getting arrested for the first time on his way to a tournament in May. The charges were later dropped. He made headlines again in August after winning gold at the Summer Olympics.
A month later, Scheffler went viral for mocking a reporter's ignorant questions at a press conference.
But for Schaeffler, all's well that ends well. He finished the 2024 PGA Tour season with nearly $30 million in prize money. income.
Furthermore, Schaeffler US only Google's list of the most searched athletes of the year. Tyson was No. 1 on that list, Kerif was No. 2, and Biles was No. 3.
Also, WNBA star Caitlin Clark came in 7th place, and Harrison Butker, a popular anti-wake kicker in the NFL, came in 8th place.
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