When it comes to discussions about who the GOAT is of any competitive sport, there tends to be a valid argument around a number of competitors as to who is truly the greatest.
With Faker’s fifth Worlds win in a career spanning over a decade, that conversation can’t be had in League of Legends. He is the greatest player that has ever and will ever touch the game, no questions asked. No one even comes close.
He has far and away the most Worlds titles at 5, with the next closest player being Bengi at 3; a player who was on a team with Faker for every single one of those wins. He holds pretty much every domestic and international record in terms of kills, games played, champions picked, and games won due to just how long he’s been playing.
There’s a good chance we’ll never see another player come close to breaking his record even if League of Legends is around for decades to come. And Faker still plans to add even more trophies to his cabinet after this.
"Even if I win this year, it won't be my last."T1 Faker confirmed he's not retiring even if he wins LoL Worlds 2024 today pic.twitter.com/Nl1ST8Kaco
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) November 2, 2024
It’s easy to feel like, as a League of Legends fan, that we glorify Faker a bit too much sometimes. that there should have been another player to come along and at least contest him by now.
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And, to be fair, there have been. Faker has been bested by some world class mid laners over the years. It’s not like he won every tournament. For the better part of a decade, that fourth world title eluded him.
However, he came back in 2023 and proved he’s still the best, and he’s done it yet again at Worlds 2024. Not to mention he won tournament MVP in 2024 as well, proving that he’s not just getting carried by the young and talented players that flank him as the most iconic roster in League of Legends history.
No one has his staying power, his grit, and his determination to win. Faker isn’t being put on a pedestal, he’s dragged his way up there himself and earned the spotlight.
He’s the shining star of the League of Legends, and he’ll exist forever as not only one of the greatest League of Legends players ever, but a man who has defined esports and given every pro player in every game a face to look up to.