There are some things in life that you can't dispute. McDonald's has the best Diet Coke (and possibly the best fast-food French fries, but only when they are piping hot and extra salty). Leggings do count as pants. The school drop-off lane is for well-timed tuck-and-roll exits and not lengthy goodbyes. Another truth not up for debate: There are few things cuter than a big, burly athlete holding a teeny-tiny baby or swooping their kids up for a sweaty post-match hug.
It doesn't matter if we see them live or after a regular game or a Super Bowl or World Series victory, or if we just follow them on Instagram. We can't help ourselves from crushing on the cutest sports dads out there. Maybe it's the visual of brawny arms (we do love a brawny arm) cradling a little baby, or the idea of some dad bods that include visible abs, or just the sweetness of seeing oh-so-tough athletes getting to be tender and fun with their littlest fans. Either way, we are big fans!
So please join us in enjoying a little eye candy as we celebrate the cutest sports dads out there.
Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter may be retired from professional baseball, but as his Instagram proves, he can never retire from his role as a total girl dad! He is a father of three daughters and has the painted fingernails to prove it. A dad who loves to play with his girls is always going to top our cute list.
Steph Curry
Steph Curry usually tops most lists of the greatest active basketball players in the game and he's well-known for also being a big family man. We loved watching him famously wrangle daughter Riley during a 2015 press conference, and it's pretty clear he's also the apple of his son Canon's eye, too. So cute!
Olivier Giroud
Even people who don't follow international soccer and who may never have heard of hunky A.C. Milan forward Olivier Giroud can almost certainly appreciate the following facts: He's bearded. He's French (that accent!). He has six-pack abs and soccer-player thighs. And he's also a doting dad to four kids. Here. For. IT.
Tom Daley
British diver Tom Daley has not only won multiple Olympic medals (while having truly some of the best abs at the Games), he's also a highly skilled knitter and a doting dad. He and husband Dustin Lance Black are parents to a 6-year-old son. We love a multitalented sports dad!
Tom Brady
Love him or hate him (and, truly, nobody ever seems neutral about him), there is really no denying that Tom Brady is a good looking dad dude. He has three kids and seems to be a committed parent, even though he can't seem to commit to staying retired from football.
A.J. Green
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver A.J. Green is 6 feet, 4 inches of really cute sports dad material. He's a proud father of sons Gunnar and Easton (who wants to grow up to be a football player like his daddy). Fans of both dimples and well-built forearms (hey, it's a thing!) are also big fans of Mr. Green.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most popular athletes in the world, with more than 477 million followers on Instagram. He regularly posts both thirst traps and pictures of his large family (he has five living children and suffered the loss of the sixth during childbirth).
Nathan Adrian
Olympic swimming great Nathan Adrian is a such a cute sports dad. And, given the size of his Speedo uniform, one that we've gotten to see a lot of over the years (this is not a complaint). Adrian, who is also a cancer survivor, is expecting his second child with his wife any day now.
Cody Bellinger
Cody Bellinger, outfielder and first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, is one of the most popular professional baseball players of the moment. He's equally as popular with his cutie-pie daughter, Caiden (born November 2021), who seems to be as big of a fan of his beard as the rest of us are.
Dwyane Wade
Yes, he's tall. And has some really nice broad shoulders. And was one of the best NBA players of his era. But we put Dwyane Wade on our cutest sports dads list because there is nothing better than a guy who goes papa bear when it comes to protecting his kids, as D Wade has done for his daughter Zaya.
Jordan Spieth
We're not going to lie — watching golf on TV isn't exactly one of our hobbies (unless we need to take a nap). But we might tune in more if we had some chances to catch cutie Jordan Spieth hanging out on the greens with his adorable little caddie. Hopefully son Sammy inherits his dad's great smile!
Brian Dumoulin
Here's a plot twist we weren't expecting when we started this list: One of the best smiles on a sports dad belongs to a hockey player?! What? But it's true! Brian Dumoulin of the Pittsburgh Penguins has a great grin (and the rest of his face is pretty cute as well), even after 10 years in the NHL.
Tristan Thompson
Yes, Tristan Thompson is a controversial choice. Now, please note the list is cutest sports dads, not "sports dads least likely to cheat on you AGAIN, Khloé Kardashian." There's no denying that Tristan is a good looking dad, and he makes some very cute babies!
J.J. Watt
Okay, so technically J.J. Watt is still a dad-to-be, as his wife, Kealia, is due to have their first child this fall. But, c'mon, this guy looks like he's Thor's buffer first cousin. There is no way he doesn't fly to the top of the cutest sports dads list once we see him cradling an infant!
Saquon Barkley
Saquon Barkley, also known as sweet 4-year-old Jada Clare Barkley's dad, is a 6-foot-tall, six-pack abs having, super cute smiling running back with the New York Giants. He was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018, the same year that Jada was born (so that was a year for the highlight reel!).
