A pair of Arizona State Sun Devils alums and one of the newest members of Phoenix Rising FC cracked ESPN's second annual "World Fame 100" list released Tuesday.
One of them -- former Sun Devil Phil Mickelson -- is No. 5 overall.
The list, which has soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo at No. 1, ranked the world's 100 most famous athletes based largely on endorsement deals and followers on social media.
Mickelson was ranked No. 5 -- ahead of Tiger Woods, who's No. 10 -- despite not being active on social media. Why? Because he's filthy rich, including an absurd $50 million in endorsement deals.
"Mickelson isn't just wealthy for an athlete. He came in at No. 18 on Forbes' 2016 list of America's richest celebrities with a net worth of $375 million, beating Barbra Streisand by one spot," ESPN's Melissa Isaacson wrote.
The other ASU alum on the list is Houston Rockets star and 2016-17 NBA MVP candidate James Harden, who comes in at No. 28. ESPN cited Harden's $28 million in endorsements, along with his 4 million-plus followers on both Twitter and Instagram.
"It's only fitting that Harden is the most famous athlete in Houston, the city that gave birth to the legendary bearded blues rock band ZZ Top," ESPN wrote.
Didier Drogba, who joined the United Soccer League's Phoenix Rising FC in April as a player and co-owner, is No. 80 overall. Like most of the world's top soccer players, Drogba is a legend in Europe, largely thanks to his time with Chelsea FC in England.
An Ivory Coast native, Drogba has $5 million in endorsements, along with 9 million Facebook followers, 4.9 million Instagram followers and 1.3 million Twitter followers. He joined Phoenix Rising in the hopes of helping to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to the Valley.
"I have to say that Phoenix won my heart."@PHXRisingFC's @didierdrogba explains his passion for bringing an @MLS club to the Valley. pic.twitter.com/JJdj7oCagA
— ABC15 Sports (@abc15sports) May 10, 2017
