Time magazine ranks Faker among the 100 most influential people in sports
Time magazine released its inaugural version of TIME100 Sports, a list of the 100 most influential figures in sports. The TIME100 Sports 2026 features legends of football, basketball, racing, and many other Olympic disciplines. Alongside them stands
Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok
as the sole esports representative.
Time magazine features Faker in its TIME100 Sports piece
The Unkillable Demon King is listed as one of the sports “icons” in 2026. In their description of the LCK legend, Time magazine called him the ‘Unkillable Demon King,’ adding that he was widely regarded as the ‘best esports player of all time.’
Esports have grown from niche, community-based competitions to international stadium-filling spectacles. In 1972, the first tournament was held at Stanford University, and the winner received a mere
Rolling Stone
subscription.
Now, the industry is projected to reach $7.46 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research.
Faker’s net worth
showcased how he has benefited from this explosion: T1 and BMW gifted him a luxury sedan for his 25th birthday, and he now owns an equity stake in his team, which has signed endorsement deals with Nike, Red Bull, Mercedes-Benz, and other brands. Lee also owns a nine-story commercial building in Seoul called Faker Tower.”
How Faker has become a mainstream name
T1’s mid laner is the undisputed icon of League of Legends. However, beyond simply being a name in the game, he’s become one of the most famous figures in South Korea as a whole. In fact, this is one more of many of Sang-hyeok’s appearances on broader media in the past months.
Two months ago, Faker made the cover of Fortune Korea’s anniversary issue. Last December, he met with the country’s prime minister Kim Min-seok to have a conversation.
Faker is the only esports atthlete in the Time’s top 100. However, he sets the path for broader recognition and integration of esports as part of the mainstream culture. In 2026, League of Legends will be a discipline at the Asian Games for the third edition in a row.
This weekend, Faker will compete in the
Road to MSI
to earn T1 a spot at the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational.
Featured
image source: Red Bull
Wasif Ahmed
About Wasif Ahmed
Wasif Ahmed is the Lead Esports Editor for WIN.gg. He has been covering esports for nearly eight years, although his gaming journey started much earlier, when he was just four years old and was introduced to Road Rash on a dusty PC. Hit him up on X to talk about esports, why partnership models are the best fit for esports games, or if Halo 7 has finally been announced.
View full profile
Read Also
League of Legends
LYON vs Shopify Rebellion LCS playoffs lower bracket: Best bets and predictions
Ben Boland
LYON faces Shopify Rebellion in the lower bracket of the LCS Summer Playoffs 2026. The winner of this match claims North America’s final spot at the 2026 League of Legends World Championship, while the loser ends their season in fourth place. Neither team should have been in this spot. LYON entered the playoffs as the favorite and they’re now in the loser’s bracket, and SR was expected to lose much ...
Valorant
Global Esports vs Team Vitality: Best predictions for VCT Champions 2026
Owen Harsono
The Valorant action doesn’t stop, as we’re getting a spicy matchup between Global Esports and Team Vitality in the group stage. This is the first time these lineups are going to play against each other, so it’ll be exciting to see which one comes out on top. Here are our VCT Champions 2026 Global Esports vs Team Vitality predictions. Tournament: VCT Champions 2026 Stage: Group Stage Game: Valorant Format: Best ...
Dota 2
MidOne to Play for Team Liquid at BLAST Slam 8, Replacing Nisha: Permanent or Stand-in?
Owen Harsono
Like most other Dota 2 teams, Team Liquid have also undergone roster changes after The International 2026, replacing Ace for Wisper. However, a swap in offlaners wasn’t the end, as veteran mid-laner MidOne has been registered under the team ahead of BLAST Slam 8, taking Nisha’s spot. Is MidOne only acting as a stand-in, or is this going to be a permanent move? Here’s what we know. On September 25, ...
Valorant
Complexity Gaming shuts down after 23 years – Here’s what we know
Khizar Mundia
Esports organization Complexity Gaming is ending its 23-year run, as its founder announces its shutdown. Complexity is an organization that has been around since the early days of esports. The organization had rosters in multiple games, including Counter-Strike and Valorant. Despite this, Complexity’s CS roster was the most famous, as it won several major events. This is why it was a surprise for fans to hear that Complexity is shutting ...
League of Legends
Team Liquid vs Cloud9 LCS Playoffs Upper Bracket Finals: Bets and Predictions
Ben Boland
The LCS Upper Bracket finals are one many would not have predicted. Team Liquid takes on Cloud9 to see which team will lock in their spot in the Worlds 2026 Swiss stage and the LCS Summer Grand Finals. League of Legends bettors are in for a treat in this best-of-five, with many good bets available. Let’s take a look at some of the best bets for the Cloud9 vs. Team ...
League of Legends
The LEC’s Viewership Is Down 20% From Summer 2025
Ben Boland
As the Summer Split has concluded, the results are out — and the LEC’s viewership keeps declining for the second year in a row. Even though Europe has achieved strong results this year, fewer viewers follow these teams regionally afterwards. According to Escharts, the LoL European league has recorded 173,989 average viewers in Summer 2026, and 438,821 peak viewers. In 2025, the LEC had an average viewership of 213,292 with ...
Valorant
NRG vs Nongshim RedForce: Best picks for VCT Champions 2026
Owen Harsono
Two tournament favorites face off in the first round of the VCT Champions 2026 group stage, as NRG will take on Nongshim RedForce in their opening match. There is no room for slow starts at this event, making it an incredibly important match for both teams. Here are our NRG vs Nongshim RedForce predictions. Tournament: VCT Champions 2026 Stage: Group Stage Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: These ...
