Oh boy...
ESPN MLB analyst Karl Ravech recently made a bold statement on The Pat McAfee Show, declaring that Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is the most well-known athlete in the world today.
Ravech, known for his work as the play-by-play commentator for Sunday Night Baseball, stirred the pot when he argued that Ohtani’s global recognition surpasses that of even Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
MLB Analyst says Shohei Ohtani is more famous than Messi and Ronaldo
In his discussion about the Japanese phenom, Ravech asserted that Ohtani’s international fame rivals that of athletes like Tiger Woods and Muhammad Ali.
“There probably hasn’t been an athlete who is more well-known globally maybe since Tiger Woods, maybe Muhammad Ali, then [Shohei Ohtani],” Ravech said. "I think you can make the case he’s the biggest and most well-known athlete globally on the planet."
Ohtani’s dual-threat abilities as both a pitcher and a hitter in Major League Baseball have captured the imagination of fans worldwide, but it’s his transcendent appeal, particularly in Japan, Asia and the U.S., that has fueled this conversation.
Soccer fans who came across Ravech's bold claim were quick to shut down the idea of Ohtani as the world's most popular athlete, with the comparison between Messi and Ronaldo's social media following with Ohtani flooding the replies.
When it comes to global recognition, Shohei Ohtani has made significant strides in recent years, but his social media following still pales in comparison to that of two of the most famous athletes in the world: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Let's break down their social media presence to understand just how Ohtani stacks up.
Spoiler: it's not even close.
Shohei Ohtani's social media following compared to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo, regarded as one of the most recognizable faces in sports, leads the charge with an overwhelming social media presence — holding the most followed Instagram account in the world. As of 2025:
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Instagram: Over 550 million followers
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Facebook: Over 150 million followers
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Twitter (X): Around 100 million followers
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi, like Ronaldo, has a global following that is hard to match. As of 2025:
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Instagram: Over 450 million followers
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Facebook: 107 million followers
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Twitter (X): 40 million followers
Shohei Ohtani
While Ohtani’s global fame has skyrocketed, especially in recent years, his social media following still lags behind the two soccer legends. As of 2025:
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Instagram: Around 2.5 million followers
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Twitter (X): Roughly 1.3 million followers
