The Competition Is Heating Up! Meet 21 of the Sexiest Men in Sports (original) (raw)

These professional athletes keep their heads in the game, but we've got our eyes on them!

From football and basketball to surfing and racing, superstars from every sport are scoring points and stealing hearts. Travis Kelce, Neymar Jr., Steph Curry and Shohei Ohtani are just a few game-winners heating up their respective leagues, giving fans more than a few reasons to cheer along.

Check out some of the most athletically and genetically gifted players who scored wins and stole hearts this year, in honor of PEOPLE's 2023 Sexiest Man Alive issue.

Travis Kelce

Travis Kelce.

Catherine Powell

Kelce is the dream man: a hard worker, a committed boyfriend and a big time Swiftie! This year, the tight end scored a Super Bowl win with his Kansas City Chiefs, beating his brother Jason Kelce's team, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kelce won again in the fall, when he successfully wooed Taylor Swift and struck up a romance with the pop icon.

Jason Kelce

Jason Kelce.

Tim Nwachukwu/Getty

The Philadelphia Eagles may have lost this year's Super Bowl, but Kelce stayed on top as champion dad and total hottie. Football fans have gotten to know him better through his New Heights podcast with Travis, in which the brothers discuss all things on and off the field.

Plus, the world has fallen in love with the sweet family dynamic between Kelce, his wife Kylie and their three daughters Wyatt, Elliotte and Bennett.

Jonathan Owens

Jonathan Owens.

Ian Maule/Getty

Simone Biles really stuck the landing when she married one of the NFL's hottest players, Owens. Who wouldn't flip head over heals for this Green Bay Packers safety?

Braxton Berrios

Braxton Berrios.

Rich Storry/Getty

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Berrios is a big name in stadiums and online, thanks to his budding relationship with TikTok sensation Alix Earle. The duo made their red carpet debut this summer, but don't worry — Berrios might not be totally off the market just yet.

Back in July, sources told PEOPLE that the couple were keeping things casual. "The two have always agreed they were not exclusive or official," the insider said. That said, her steamy birthday post for the athlete suggests things could be getting more intense!

Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow.

Cooper Neill/Getty

Burrow entered the pros as the Cincinnati Bengals' first overall draft pick in 2020. The quarterback made a quick impression with his game-time skills and his dashing good looks.

In 2022, Burrow led his team to the Super Bowl for their first time since 1988. And despite the pressure, the superstar player kept his famous composure. In fact, he's been nicknamed "Joe Cool" by fans and sportscasters due to his consistently calm and collected demeanor.

Burrow has been dating his college sweetheart Olivia Holzmacher since 2017, much to the chagrin of some of his biggest fans. When rumors swirled about their possible engagement, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that a local bar started offering a "Sad Girl Shot" for only 9 cents (to match Burrow's jersey number).

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi.

CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Messi is tough competitor on the soccer field, but he's quite easy on the eyes. The Argentinian soccer star is a record-breaking athlete and widely regarded as one of the greatest players to take the field. At home, he's a super-dad to sons Mateo, Thiago and Ciro, all of whom he shares with his wife Antonella Roccuzzo.

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior

Neymar Jr.

Aurelien Meunier - PSG/PSG via Getty

The Brazilian soccer pro has been scoring goals and stealing hearts for his entire career. In addition to his impressive work on the field, Neymar is equally dedicated at home. He has two kids, son Davi Lucca and newborn daughter Mavie, whom Neymar and his girlfriend welcomed in October 2023.

Son Heung-min

Heung-Min Son.

Gareth Copley/Getty

The South Korean forward was ranked at No. 26 on The Guardian's 2023 list of the 100 best male footballers in the world. He's currently single, but Son isn't trying to find his soulmate just yet. In 2019, he told The Guardian that he's not planning to settle down until he's off the field.

Quoting his father's advice, Son explained, "When you marry, the number one will be family, wife and kids, and then football. I want to make sure that while I play at the top level, football can be number one."

Grigor Dimitrov

Grigor Dimitrov.

Lintao Zhang/Getty

Dimitrov is serving up some hot shots and good looks. Plus, the Bulgarian tennis player sports some fun and funky styles when he's off the court.

Matteo Berrettini

Matteo Berrettini.

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Berrettini made his name in 2022, when he became the first man born in the 1990s or later to reach at least the quarter-finals in all four major tennis tournaments that season.

Frances Tiafoe

Frances Tiafoe.

Sarah Stier/Getty

At just 25 years old, Tiafoe is putting his blood, sweat and tears into every match — especially his sweat. The tennis title-holder revealed he brings 20 extra shirts to each match due to some intense on-court perspiration, according to Insider. We respect the hustle!

Stephen Curry

Steph Curry.

ABC via Getty

Curry has led his Golden State Warriors to the NBA championships several times throughout his career. The point guard has also been named as a regular season MVP, an NBA Finals MVP and an All-Star Game MVP.

While his are some of the most impressive stats in the league, Curry has also made headlines as a family man. He and his wife, Ayesha Curry, share three kids: their daughters Riley and Ryan and their son, Canon. Back in 2015, Riley stole the show as she accompanied her dad at press conferences, interjecting with some hilarious commentary.

Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum.

Brian Babineau/NBAE via Gett

Boston Celtics star Tatum is another NBA dad we can't get enough of! In October 2023, the on-court superstar opened up about balancing parenthood and professional sports in a Q&A for the NBA's Starting 5 newsletter. He admitted that it's hard to feel as though he's missing his son, Jayson "Deuce" Christopher Jr., but added that the two have a lot to share.

"The best part about being his dad in season is the games," Tatum said. "That’s something we have really bonded over."

Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler.

Sam Navarro/Getty

Butler crushes it on the court playing for the Miami Heat, and he's recently shared some new career goals: the small forward wants to record a country album! The double threat teased his plans to Rolling Stone this past October.

"There’s definitely going to be an album. That’s the goal. I just don’t know when," he told the outlet.

Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani.

Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty

Ohtani has definitely earned his flashy nickname, "Shotime." The Los Angeles Angels star can pitch and hit. In 2021, the Japanese athlete made history as the first MLB player to rack up high stats on offense and defense: he scored over 10 home runs, more than 20 stolen bases and upwards of 200 strikeouts.

Mookie Betts

Mookie Betts. Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty

If his major league success isn't enough to win you over, Betts has also proven himself to be a multi-sport athlete. The Los Angeles Dodgers player spent some time knocking down pins for the Professional Bowlers Association. In 2017, he bowled a perfect game at the World Series of Bowling.

Cody Bellinger

Cody Bellinger.

Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty

Chicago Cubs player Bellinger proved he's a total catch in 2021, when he spoke to PEOPLE about his then-girlfriend (and now-fiancé) Chase Carter's pregnancy with their daughter, Caiden.

Detailing how he supported his pregnant partner, Bellinger said, "I want to make sure she's comfortable in bed. Just the little things too, like getting her coffee. She's pretty active. She works out every day. She's a strong girl; she can get through most of it. But just doing the small things for her."

Michal Kempný

Michal Kempny.

Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty

Czech-born hockey star Kempný took his talents — and good looks — stateside in 2016 to play in the NHL. His on-ice defense skills helped lead the Washington Capitals to their Stanley Cup victory in 2018.

Kanoa Igarashi

Kanoa Igarashi.

Koji Hirano/Getty

Igarashi is catching waves, and we're catching feelings! Per his Instagram, the World Surf League champion and Olympic medalist travels around the globe meeting fans and checking out new oceanic hotspots.

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton.

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Formula 1 driver Hamilton is a fierce competitor on the track, a staunch advocate for social causes and just a good-hearted human being — what could be sexier than that? Following his historic F1 championship win in 2020, Hamilton spoke to PEOPLE about the inspiration behind his success: his dad.

"I think probably every parent wants the best for their kids. My dad, he never went out. He never had new clothes. He wasn't saving up to buy anything new," Hamilton remembered. "Everything — remortgaging the house multiple times — went into go-karting, which sounds crazy. It is crazy, but he believed so much in me."

Tommy Fury

Tommy Fury.

Matt McNulty/Getty

Fury is a man who can do it all: professional boxing and reality TV! The British fighter took time away from the ring to compete on season 5 of Love Island. Fury's television stint proved to be a success, too. He and his costar Molly-Mae Hague have been together ever since. They've started a family together, welcoming their daughter Bambi in January 2023. A few months later, the couple — who came in second place on Love Island — announced their engagement!