Kane pips Becks as London’s most iconic sportsperson in 2025
England captain Harry Kane has been revealed as London’s most iconic sports star in 2025, according to online interest.
Researchers at Harrod Sport, the UK’s leading manufacturer of sports equipment, measured the popularity of over 27,800 professional athletes (born from 1940 onwards) by examining their average monthly Wikipedia views over the past year. Results were filtered by birthplace to reveal the most popular sports stars born in each English county.
With over 20 billion visits each month, Wikipedia is often the first place fans go to learn more about their favourite sportspeople – making it a useful, real-time indicator of which athletes are capturing the public’s attention.
Despite leaving London for Munich in 2023, England skipper and record goal scorer Harry Kane’s page has the highest viewership amongst Londoners, with an average of 247,020 views per month.
Kane beat fellow England legend Sir David Beckham to the top spot, with the former Manchester United icon and Inter Miami owner averaging 235,260 Wikipedia page views each month. England and Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice follows in third place, with an average of 222,030 views per month.
The 10 most popular athletes born in London, by average monthly Wikipedia views:
- Harry Kane (football) - 247,020
- David Beckham (football) - 235,260
- Declan Rice (football) - 222,030
- Bukayo Saka (football) - 193,860
- Frank Lampard (football) - 105,780
- Myles Lewis-Skelly (football) - 99,990
- Michael Olise (football) - 99,420
- Conor Benn (boxing) - 90,180
- Ian Wright (football) - 89,790
- Jadon Sancho (football) - 66,660
England footballers past and present dominated the London rankings, with Bukayo Saka, Frank Lampard and Myles Lewis-Skelly all appearing in the top 10.
Across the whole country, Lewis Hamilton was found to have the highest Wikipedia viewership with a monthly average of 452,310 views, followed by F1 rival Lando Norris (358,620) in second and UFC star Paddy Pimblett (328,380) in third.
Harrod Sport’s nationwide research helps to highlight how the UK produces a rich legacy of sporting heroes from all parts of the country. As part of the company’s ongoing efforts to support local sports development, they recently announced the winners of their seventh annual Ron Harrod Foundation sponsorship. Every year, the Ron Harrod Foundation sponsors a handpicked group of outstanding young athletes, helping them to pursue their sporting ambitions.
Commenting on their research, Kevin Utton, Sport Sales and Marketing Director at Harrod Sport, said:
“We carried out this research as a celebration of the UK’s greatest sportspeople. In the fast-paced world of pro sports, athletes in the past and present often fade from the limelight. We believe it is important to continue to recognise iconic athletes and their legacy in order to inspire the next generation of sporting stars, many of whom look to professional athletes from their hometown as role models.”
For more insights from Harrod Sport’s research and to see which athletes topped the list in other English counties, visit: https://www.harrodsport.com/advice-and-guides/hometown-heroes