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
Counter-Strike
Team Spirit vs Team Falcons at BLAST Open Fall 2026: best predictions and picks
Owen Harsono
We’re in for a treat, as the BLAST Open Fall semi-final will feature a matchup between Team Spirit and Team Falcons, with the winner booking a spot in the grand final. It’s a battle between the world number one and number two, so this is a match you definitely don’t want to miss. Here are our BLAST Open Fall Team Spirit vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: BLAST Open Fall 2026 ...
Esports Betting
The Best LCS Summer Split Week 7 Odds: Upsets On The Horizon?
Ben Boland
The LoL betting world is in for a treat this weekend as the LCS Summer Split regular season enters its final week. Everything is to play for, from the battle for first place to who starts life in the upper bracket. Esports betting sites are unsurprisingly covering the games extensively, and here my tips to bet on for each LCS match this weekend. This is a series that could go ...
League of Legends
LEC Playoffs Round 1 Betting Tips: G2 vs Vitality & Karmine Corp vs GIANTX
Ben Boland
The 2026 LEC Summer Playoffs are finally here in the world of LoL betting. After weeks of regular-season action, the battle to get to Worlds 2026 is heating up. Team Vitality, G2 Esports, GiantX, and Karmine Corp start their playoff run in the upper bracket. Both sets of matches have a lot of betting potential, with some decent value to be found. Here are some of the best bets to ...
Fortnite
Is Fortnite Growing or Dying in 2026?
Zachary Roberts
Fortnite remains a very popular game today, and that alone is an impressive feat. Live service games do typically have longer shelf lives than others, but it's been nine years since Fortnite Battle Royale dropped. The simple fact that anyone still plays the game and that servers are kept up is unprecedented in the genre. That said, is the game actually growing or dying? Does Fortnite have the same pull ...
Valorant
Nongshim RedForce vs Global Esports at VCT Pacific Stage 2: Best Betting Predictions
Owen Harsono
The regular season of VCT Pacific is nearing its end, as Nongshim RedForce take on Global Esports in the upper bracket final of Stage 2. This Valorant match is an incredibly important one for Global Esports, as a win here will secure them a spot at VCT Champions 2026 — the final event of the year. Here are my Nongshim RedForce vs Global Esports VCT Pacific predictions. Tournament: VCT Pacific ...
Counter-Strike
Is CS2 Dying in 2026?
Owen Harsono
Counter-Strike is one of the longest-standing esports franchises, having built a loyal fanbase over the course of two decades. However, if you’ve browsed through social media platforms across the past few months, you might have seen people claiming that the game is dying or on a steady decline. Below we’ll take a look at why people are talking about this and answer the question of “is CS2 really dying?” One ...
Valorant
Leviatán vs MIBR at VCT Americas Stage 2: Betting Predictions and Picks
Owen Harsono
The top two South American organizations are set to clash in the VCT Americas Stage 2 playoffs, as LEVIATAN take on MIBR for a spot in the Upper Bracket Semifinals in São Paulo. We will look closely at leading Valorant betting sites, and with that in mind, here are our LEVIATAN vs MIBR VCT Americas predictions. Tournament: VCT Americas Stage 2 Playoffs Stage: Playoffs Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 ...
