The latest ranking of the French’s favorite athletes was revealed this Sunday, April 19. Two members of Toulouse clubs rank at the top of the ranking while Victor Wembanyama is increasingly appreciated in France.
The Odoxa institute carried out a study on Friday April 19 on behalf of Winamax and RTL focusing on the link between the French and their favorite athletes. This survey, carried out among a sample of 1,005 people, establishes the ranking of the twenty most popular sports personalities. The results mark a notable evolution in public preferences, notably with the entry of Victor Wembanyama into the top ten.
The ranking highlights a significant decline in footballers, who traditionally occupied the top places. For the first time in several years, no football player appears on the podium. If athletes like Kylian Mbappé maintain a strong reputation, their image is now considered more divisive by respondents.
Footballers step back
The study specifies that “football players suffer from a more distant, even less exemplary image in the eyes of part of the public”. This relative disenchantment benefits other disciplines and figures perceived as closer to their fans. Swimmer Léon Marchand, quadruple Olympic champion in Paris, is the favorite sportsman of all French people.
This shift was accentuated after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which reinforced the popularity of athletes from various disciplines. The public now seems to favor athletes perceived as “accessible and exemplary” to the detriment of highly publicized stars. This trend favors profiles like Antoine Dupont, the Stade Toulousain scrum half being second in the ranking.
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Léon Marchand: “We have received marriage proposals”, the incredible fervor which saturates his club’s mailbox
Victor Wembanyama makes a “spectacular leap”
The captain of the XV of France, Antoine Dupont, enjoys constant popularity thanks to his humility. At the same time, Victor Wembanyama made the most significant progress of the year. The young interior of the San Antonio Spurs makes a “spectacular leap” in the poll, driven by his investment in the ecological cause and his image of simple success.
At 20 years old, Victor Wembanyama embodies, according to the study, “success, simplicity and a form of freshness”. These results indicate that pure performance is no longer enough to win over the public. Attitude, values and behavior off the field are now essential selection criteria for the French.
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