Yao Ming And The Most Popular Athletes in Their Own Countries

Although Kobe Bryant's jersey outsells his in China, Yao Ming is still beloved in his country. He represents the country in most international sporting events.

He has played in three Olympics for China, as well as the World Championships and Asian Championships.

There is no doubt that Yao is popular in his country, but where does he rank amongst other international figures who are beloved at home?

10. Rafael Nadal: Spain

He was already popular before he became the No. 1 player in the world.

In a country that can boast one of the most impressive sports summers of ever (Pau Gasol winning NBA title with the Lakers, Spain winning the World Cup) none of that has made any Spanish athlete more popular in the in the mainstream news, the Internet, or tabloids than Rafael Nadal.

With his 2010 Wimbledon win, Nadal solidified his hold on No. 1 and threw himself in the running for world's most popular athlete.

He is No. 7 and climbing on the sportingintelligence.com world's most popular athlete poll—and No. 1 if Spain had the same poll.

9. Kimi Räikkönen: Finland

Racecar driver Kimi Räikkönen is a former world champion winning driver and has been called the fastest driver on the planet.

He is also Finland's most popular athlete.

Räikkönen is secpnd on Sports Illustrated's highest earning international athletes list and known throughout driving as the iceman because of his cool demeanor.

In Finland, he is known as quite the playboy and the tabloids follow him constantly.

When he sold his house, the local Finnish papers stated that it was the most expensive residence in the whole country.

He is such a rock star over there, they put him on a postage stamp to commemorate his 2007 world championship title.

8. David Beckham: UK

Reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated. Several British tabloids have predicted for years that David Beckham's reign as most popular athlete in the UK would soon end.

And yet he continues to rule, with an iron fist. He is recognizable around the world and paparazzi still sell pictures of him and his wife Victoria for high dollars.

Though injured for most of the year, he was still seen everywhere as a pitch man for many of the products that he represents, everything from cologne to clothes to hair gel.

Recently, a website called OnePoll.com listed 4,000 male celebrities and asked men all around the world to choose their favorite.

They called the list "Men That Men Love" and Beckham came in second, behind Brad Pitt.

Though racecar driver Lewis Hamilton is growing in UK popularity, he is still no match for Beckham.

He is even being mentioned as a top choice to become the next manager of England's national team.

7. Lionel Messi: Argentina

In a soccer crazy country like Argentina, the fans have gone many years looking for the heir to Diego Maradona. Most feel they have found him in Lionel Messi.

Though Argentina did not win the World Cup, Messi is still considered one of the most popular athletes in the world, including in his home country.

In an unscientific measure of popularity, Messi sits only behind Cristiano Ronaldo in athlete popularity and number of Facebook fans, according to a poll done by sportsintelligence.com.

At only 23 years of age, he is considered one of the top three players in the world.

With at least one more World Cup to play in his career, Messi can solidify his place amongst the greatest ever, but he already has the love of his country.

6. Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo is known internationally because of his soccer play but he is loved in his country of Portugal.

The tabloids keep a constant tally of his WAGS. And though he has never played in the states, he is one of a handful of soccer players that the average fan can name.

Though he plays for soccer clubs throughout Europe, most notably Real Madrid, part of the reason he is so popular in Portugal is because lives there and  has opened business in the country.

According to wikipedia, Ronaldo owns two popular fashion boutiques with his sister in Portugal.

He also takes care of his fellow Portuguese citizens.

When part of the country was hit with a terrible flood, Ronaldo led the way by playing charity matches to raise money for victims.

According to a site called sportingintelligence.com Ronaldo is the most popular athlete in the world.

5. Ichiro Suzuki: Japan

Though the numbers say that Ichiro has pumped more than $100 million into the Seattle economy over the years because of his popularity, it still pales in comparison to how he is regarded in Japan.

He was already a superstar in Japan before he even came to the states, so succeeding here only made his popularity rise beyond the stratosphere.

He was already a million dollar pitch man before his 21st birthday because of his early success in Japan.

When Ichiro first arrived in the states, he was such a huge story back in Japan that  over 20 Japanese writers, a multitude of photographers, and several television crews were given the task of following him full-time and reporting on every move he made.

That is dedication.

Because of his success in the states, he is able to sell any and everything back home. From stocks to housing, he is their favorite pitchman.

4. Roger Federer: Switzerland

Roger Federer is considered to be arguably the greatest men's tennis player of all-time. He ranks No. 1 all-time in grand slam singles titles as well as on the money list.

He has several fansites around the web.

But no group of people are more proud of him than his fellow Swiss.

Last year he went back to Switzerland to get married in his hometown of Basel, not far from where he resides.

Federer has taken criticism over the years for not being flashy.

But as this video proves, he lets his hair down when he is at home in Switzerland.

3. Didier Drogba: Ivory Coast

Drogba is known internationally as one of the best soccer players in the world, and certainly on the continent of Africa, where he has one African Footballer of the year twice.

In European play, he has one the Premier League Golden Boot twice.

But in the Ivory Coast, he is beyond legendary for his efforts on and off the pitch. Though his soccer excellence in his home country is unquestioned (all-time Ivory Coast top scorer).

He is just as beloved there for bringing peace to his country. When he made a plea to combatants back in 2006, the country had its first ceasefire in five years, effectively pausing a Civil War.

He later made news by donating $3 million toward construction of a hospital near his hometown in the Ivory Coast.

Because of these acts, Drogba was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential and is forever loved in the Ivory Coast.

2. Yao Ming: China

According to Forbes' Chinese Celebrities list, Yao ranks in the top 30 in Income, Internet searches, and  magazine and TV stories.

He is ranked No. 1 in newspaper coverage overall and in categories of popularity when it comes to athletes.

One of the reasons Yao is beloved in China for his conscience and charitable works. He's raised money for children's charities and donated $2 million to relief work after the  2008 Chinese Earthquake.

Recently, when the leaders of China were unhappy over the international coverage that the country was getting, they went to Yao as well as other Chinese stars like director John Woo, to help boost the country's image.

Some would argue that no one is more identified with their country than Yao Ming.

1. Usain Bolt: Jamaica

He took the world by storm at the last Olympics and is said to becoming as popular and iconic in Jamaica as Bob Marley.

He is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and holds world records in all three events.

He has been named Sportsman of the Year by several organizations and is constantly being celebrated on in Jamaica as well as in the rest of the Caribbean.

In a short period of time, he has become one of the most recognizable faces in the world.

He is also one of the fastest upward moving names on the World's Most Popular Athletes list.

But all that pales to the standing he holds in Jamaica, where he is considered almost royalty.

Honorable Mention List

Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant: A pessimist might say that the gap was so large before that this is a mark of how fall Tiger has fallen.

An optimist would say that this is evidence that you can have a second chance after a scandal and rise back all the way to the top, using Kobe as evidence.

Both points of view might be right.

According to a Harris interactive Poll, Tiger Woods had been the most popular athlete in our country for at least five years in a row.

Meanwhile, three years ago Kobe was teetering in the top 10. But winning championships has helped him rise up the ranks, while tabloid scandal has ravaged Wood's public profile.

He has lost some advertising partners but he is still one of the most recognizable faces in the world.

But not so much that he still isn't tied for the top spot.

Hoisting a Grand Slam trophy again might be all he needs to put distance between him and his competition again.

Honorable Mention List

Maria Sharapova: Though she represents Russia in international competitions, even helping her country win the Hong Kong Tennis Classic 2010 earlier this year, she spends most of her off time at her home in Florida.

Honorable Mention List

Sidney Crosby: Sid the Kid is synonymous with Canada and with hockey.

But because he spends most of his time in the states and hockey only sees its popularity rise in Olympic years, Crosby makes honorable mention.

Honorable Mention List