Time magazine has honored a Person of the Year - originally Man of the Year - since way back in 1927 (Charles Lindbergh, and in 2019 they started honoring an Athlete of the Year, as well).
Over the past six years, the recipients of Time’s Athlete of the Year honor have been huge names from around the sporting world. In 2019, it was the American women’s national soccer team, who'd just won the Women’s World Cup. They were followed by NBA superstar LeBron James in 2020, gymnastics legend Simone Biles in 2021, New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge in 2022, Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi in 2023, and WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark in 2024.
So who will Time name Athlete of the Year in 2025? The best sportsbooks have already pondered that question, with FanDuel Canada releasing early betting odds (updated Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. ET).
2025 Time Athlete of the Year Odds
| Athlete | Odds |
|---|---|
Will an NFL player finally receive the honor?
Five of the first six recipients of Time’s Athlete of the Year Award were American, making it somewhat surprising not one came from America’s biggest sports league – the NFL.
So could an NFL player break through and claim the award in 2025? Heading into the NFL’s conference championship weekend it was Bills quarterback Josh Allen favored on the 2025 Athlete of the Year odds at +280, with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes at +430 and teammate Travis Kelce listed at +850.
Mahomes then went out and led the Chiefs to a 32-29 win over the Bills in the AFC Championship Game, putting them in position to win their third straight Super Bowl when they meet the Philadelphia Eagles Feb. 9. Subsequently, Mahomes’ Athlete of the Year odds improved to +280, while Allen fell to +430 as the quarterbacks swapped positions on the list. Watch for Mahomes’ odds to improve even more if the Chiefs top the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. Kansas City opened as the favorite.
Champion racer, MLB notables in contention
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won his fourth straight Formula One drivers’ championship in 2024 and Time even singled him out as one of the most influential people of the year but still failed to win the magazine’s Athlete of the Year award.
Only Michael Schumacher won the F1 title five straight times (from 2000 to 2004), meaning Verstappen could tie that mark in 2025. That would surely get him some serious consideration for Athlete of the Year, and he’s at +340 odds at FanDuel Canada. Lewis Hamilton is the only other F1 driver on the odds list (+3200), the seven-time champion who now races for Ferrari.
Former award winner Judge is also on the odds list at +2200, but trails fellow MLB stars Juan Soto (+340) and Shohei Ohtani (+850). Ohtani had a season for the ages for the L.A. Dodgers in 2024, with 54 home runs, 59 stolen bases, an NL MVP award, and a World Series title. If that wasn’t enough to get him the Athlete of the Year award, MLB players might be completely out of luck for 2025.
Basketball, golf stars also featured on odds list
Clark is at +1000 odds at FanDuel Canada to repeat as Time’s Athlete of the Year, although it seems unlikely she’d be honored twice in a row no matter how great her sophomore WNBA campaign turns out. The reigning WNBA MVP, A'ja Wilson, is at +1100 odds, with Angel Reese back at +4800.
From the NBA, Stephen Curry sits at +2500, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander an intriguing +9500. Gilgeous-Alexander is the sportsbook's betting favorite to win this season’s NBA MVP award, and his Oklahoma City Thunder are neck-and-neck with the Boston Celtics on the odds to claim the NBA Finals this spring.
From the links, the PGA Tour’s Scottie Scheffler and LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm are both at +1400 odds, while LPGA star Nelly Korda is at +2900. Korda won seven LPGA tournaments in 2024 and claimed the tour’s Player of the Year Award; with her profile continuing to rise, the 26-year-old’s odds here are notable.
Other contenders from around the world
Will Time branch out beyond the United States a second time for its 2025 Athlete of the Year? Lionel Messi is at +1000 odds, although he now plays in MLS.
Other soccer stars on the odds list include Kylian Mbappe (+1800), Cristiano Ronaldo (+2500), and Neymar (+2900), along with Aitana Bonmati (+1800), none have the benefit of a World Cup in 2025 to boost their candidacies. There are no Olympics this year either, hurting both Armand Duplantis' (+1600) and Noah Lyles' (+1800) chances.
Elsewhere, tennis stars Iga Swiatek (+3500) and Novak Djokovic (+4400) are longer shots along with NHL stars Connor McDavid (+4800) and Auston Matthews (+6000). And it’s not likely you're thinking about darts when you consider Athlete of the Year, but teenage British phenom Luke Littler sits at +1100.
Who wins Time’s 2025 Athlete of the Year?
Korda is a good mid-range choice, while longer-shot Gilgeous-Alexander is tempting with his Thunder strong NBA title contenders. Verstappen, should he win yet another F1 title in 2025, would be a strong pick, as well. However, if Mahomes leads the Chiefs to a third straight Super Bowl win – something that's never been done before – it would be hard to see him not earn Athlete of the Year honors.
My Pick: Patrick Mahomes (+280)
Time Athlete of the Year winners
| Year | Athlete(s) | Sport/League |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | U.S. women's national team | Soccer |
| 2020 | LeBron James | NBA |
| 2021 | Simone Biles | Gymnastics |
| 2022 | Aaron Judge | MLB |
| 2023 | Lionel Messi | Soccer |
| 2024 | Caitlin Clark | WNBA |
