From Teen Prodigies to Veteran Legends: The Age Extremes Dominating SI's Power Rankings
With immense strength comes… a roster of exceptional athletes who embody it. Sports Illustrated's 2025 Power List showcases pioneers and legends who are commanding the athletic world and crafting their own distinctive legacies as some of the most "influential" sports personalities on the planet. There's strength in its literal sense of muscular force and raw power, influence as cultural impact and societal change that stems from excelling in your sport, and capability as an extraordinary talent to push boundaries and achieve what was once deemed impossible.
From football fields to ice arenas, from sold-out venues to bustling stadiums, these newcomers and seasoned pros demonstrate that there are multiple ways to display your strength. Here are the youngest and oldest competitors who earned their spot on the list.
Youngest: Lamine Yamal, 18 years old
Look away for a moment, and you'll lose sight of him: a flash of crimson-and-azure racing along the touchline, weaving and cutting past defenders while bearing a striking resemblance to the legendary No. 10 who preceded him. At merely 18 years of age, Lamine Yamal already possesses the credentials of a player ten years his senior, having secured numerous La Liga championships with Barcelona, a European Championship with Spain, and an impressively extensive collection of personal accolades and records that remain unmatched in football history.
At first sight, there's nothing overtly commanding about this teenage football prodigy, whose slender build doesn't immediately suggest world-class scoring ability or future Ballon d'Or potential. However, the instant he makes contact with the ball, everything transforms.
Defenders instantly converge to contain him, his teammates gravitate toward him anticipating his next ingenious play, and all attention focuses on the wonderkid from Catalonia, knowing he might produce something spectacular (like his brilliant Champions League strike against Inter Milan, for instance).
Yamal rose to international prominence during his European Championship debut for Spain last summer, when he surpassed Pelé's record to become the youngest competitor in tournament final history (he concluded with one goal and four assists in the Euros). Following his maiden major international triumph, Yamal is positioned to guide La Roja into their upcoming golden period at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Virtually every football enthusiast worldwide recognizes his name now, and his journey has barely begun. That's influence in essence—or more precisely, within the frame of a 5' 11" genuine football phenomenon.
Oldest: Kayla Harrison, 35 years old
The biography of Kayla Harrison represents determination and perseverance, as the 35-year-old combat athlete continuously overcame challenges to become the influential figure she is today.
A dual Olympic champion and UFC bantamweight titleholder, Harrison harnessed her internal fortitude in every match from her early days in judo through her successful shift to MMA (mixed martial arts). At 16 years of age, she found the bravery to come forward after enduring sexual abuse from her judo instructor for years. From that trauma, she managed to create excellence, becoming the first American (male or female) to capture gold in judo at the 2012 London Olympics. Her remarkable perseverance never faltered, not even when she stepped into the octagon in MMA and fought her way to two Professional Fighters League (PFL) world titles and, more recently, a UFC championship.
Harrison now stands triumphant as one of the elite fighters globally—while simultaneously representing much more. She's a parent of two children. A courageous advocate for a foundation that supports sexual abuse victims and survivors. It requires a genuine champion to rise again, repeatedly. Throughout Harrison's relentless and distinguished fighting journey, she became the epitome of exactly that.
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