The Best Memes of Crying Athletes, Ranked

For better or worse, the Internet wastes no time in capitalizing on the emotions of athletes. This proved to be the case for Argentina’s Lionel Messi, the veritable GOAT of international soccer, when his tears after a heart-breaking loss to Chile in the Copa America championship quickly went viral, placing him in the ranks of other athletes whose crying moments have become legendary memes.

The “Crying Jordan” meme of Michael Jordan at his 2009 induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame has become a ubiquitous sight on sports Twitter, but other crying athletes have quickly joined him as the Internet’s favorite way to express the full range of human emotions.

From Messi to Jordan, we’ve rounded up the most memorable crying athlete memes of all time, below.