Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok has officially been named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in Sports for 2026. The T1 mid laner becomes one of the few esports figures ever featured on the list, sitting alongside athletes, executives, and broadcasters from traditional sports.
For anyone needing a refresher, Faker is the South Korean League of Legends legend who has played for T1 (formerly SK Telecom T1) since 2013. He is widely considered the greatest LoL player of all time and one of the most decorated competitors in esports history.
His trophy cabinet is unmatched. Faker has lifted the League of Legends World Championship multiple times, claimed double-digit LCK titles, won the Mid-Season Invitational, and represented South Korea at the Asian Games. Few players in any game have stayed at the top for over a decade. He has.
The TIME recognition is significant because it places him on a mainstream sports list, not an esports-specific one. That kind of crossover acknowledgment has been rare for competitive gaming, even as Worlds regularly fills arenas and pulls millions of concurrent viewers worldwide.
At 30, Faker is still actively competing at the highest level for T1, with no retirement announcement in sight. The TIME 100 listing just adds another line to a résumé that already reads like fiction.
