Beckham, Murray, Osaka: Ranking the 50 most underrated athletes of all time

While the likes of Michael Jordan, Cristiano Ronaldo and Serena Williams have rightfully been hailed among the best sports stars to ever grace the earth, there are a plethora of athletes who have never received the credit they deserve.

GiveMeSport thought it only right to pay homage to some of the most underrated athletes of this generation, and have devised a list brimming with exceptionally talented names. 

In total, we’ve picked out 50 sportspeople and ranked them downwards, with the number one spot given to the most underappreciated athlete of them all. 

Our list contains athletes from almost every major sport and we’ve tried our best to devise a ranking with no bias. 

All sports are weighted equally and there is no attempt to suggest that any athlete is more underrated simply because of the sport they play. 

While we’ve sought to justify the position of every athlete on this list, it is worth noting that our ranking is purely subjective and you’re perfectly entitled to have a different opinion. 

To be clear, we’re not defining ‘underrated’ as an athlete who wasn’t rated at all, but rather someone who was criminally underappreciated in accordance with their talent and success. 

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Silva was overshadowed by Patrick Viera for much of his time at Arsenal but was still an integral member of Arsene Wenger’s ‘invincibles’ side. 

A World Cup winner, with 93 caps for Brazil, Silva is no doubt one of the greatest midfielders to grace the Premier League. 

Considered part of tennis’ ‘big four’, Murray has long been considered one of the best tennis players in the world. 

Yet, some don’t appreciate quite how much he has achieved. With three Grand Slam victories, two Olympic gold medals and 46