25 iconic sports records that won't be broken anytime soon

Is Messi the greatest footballer of all time? What he accomplished here is one of the great individual performances in any sport. Playing for Barcelona and Argentina’s national team, Messi nearly reached the century mark for goals in 2012. He broke the record set by Germany and Bayern Munich star Gerd Muller (85 in 1972). Messi scored nearly 90 of those goals for Barca during his historic stretch -- many of the highlight-reel variety. 

It's still amazing to think that Nicol, while playing for the Cincinnati Red Stockings, still holds this record from 1887. Rickey Henderson came close with 130 in 1982. And even while the stolen base has made a comeback in the majors in recent years, there's not really anybody worth challenging Nicol's mark. One must go back to 1987 for the last time a player recorded at least 100 steals, courtesy of the great Vince Coleman with 109.

There was a time when Tiger Woods seemed destined to break Nelson's record. However, those days have passed. Woods won seven in a row from 2006-'07. The legendary Nelson went on this fantastic run during the 1945 season, and included one major victory at the PGA Championship. Reportedly, Nelson earned $30,250 in winning those 11 straight matches.

It took Stockton 19 seasons to set this mark while collecting 10.5 assists per game while starring for the Utah Jazz. Stockton’s final NBA season came in 2002-03, so this record appears to be his for quite a while longer. That said, Chris Paul just completed his 20th season and sits second with 12,499 assists, but how much does he have left in the tank? Meanwhile, LeBron James sits fourth with 11,584 with his 23rd NBA season looming. 

One of the more underrated streaks in all of sports. The dependable Green accomplished this feat during his 16-year NBA career (1986-2001), mostly with the Los Angeles Lakers. In today's NBA, maintenance days are normal for the game's biggest stars, even the regular, everyday players, too. Mikal Bridges, who finished the 2024-25 season with the New York Knicks, is the active leader with 556 consecutive games played, which included a 6-second stint in the club's regular-season finale on April 13, 2025.

The King doesn't appear in danger of losing his crown anytime soon. Petty's 200 wins, with 60 coming in the modern era (beginning in 1972), are still the gold standard when it comes to track greatness. Jimmie Johnson has reached 83 all-time victories, but he's no longer a full-time racer, while current stars Kyle Busch (63 wins as of July 1, 2025) and Denny Hamlin (57 wins) are the closest active drivers to Petty, but still have plenty of miles left in their pursuit.

One of the most revered records in all of sports, but perhaps a mark that someday will be broken. But, it's going to take some time. Bonds might not be a favorite among baseball purists, but his career home run total should still be respected. Giancarlo Stanton is the current player closest to the mark with more than 425 home runs, but it seems someone that Aaron Judge might have a better chance of surpassing Bonds down the road.

While it can be argued that the 1,000-yard rushing mark is more attainable than ever, due to an extra regular season game, this mark feels particularly safe considering the shelf life of an NFL running back seems shorter than was the case during Smith's playing days (1990-2004). He accomplished this feat from 1991-2001. To put things into perspective, Derrick Henry, the NFL's active career rushing leader, is headed into his 10th season, and he's only done it three consecutive years.

There is much to be impressed by Biles' gymnastics career. However, there is a serious argument that her 30 medals at the Worlds take the cake. Sure, the 11 Olympic medals (seven gold) are a big deal, but Biles' dominance at the World Championships likely won't be duplicated in the near future. Of those 30 medals, 23 are gold, and she won the individual all-around title six times (2013, '14, '15, '18, '19, '23). She's also a member of a record five gold medal-winning American squads (2014, '15, '18 '19, '23).

Rice stopped playing in 2004, and hasn’t seen this mark seriously challenged. Larry Fitzgerald made a modest push with 17,492 yards in 17 seasons. Perhaps most impressive about Rice’s career is that it lasted 20 seasons. Mike Evans enters his 12th NFL season with 12,684 career receiving yards (second-most by active players), and if he can stay healthy and has a potent quarterback throwing his direction for another 5-6 years, there's an outside chance Rice's impressive mark could be threatened.

When it comes to both of these records, "The Great One" has completely dominated said categories. He holds the top-eight spots in most single-season assists, with those 163 coming in 1985-86. In terms of points, he owns the top-four positions, with the record coming in that same '85-86 campaign. Gretzky is also the only player in NHL history to post at least 200 points in a season -- doing so four times.

Gretzky's career goal record has been broken, a feat accomplished by Alex Ovechkin. However, Gretzky's 1,963 career assists spanning his 20 NHL seasons are still practically untouchable. Sidney Crosby just completed his 20th season and has 1,062 active-career-leading assists to his name. In terms of points, Gretzky is still the only player in league history to reach 2,000. Crosby, again, is the closest active player with 1,687.

The fact that no other player in MLB history has reached 50 games when it comes to hitting safely suggests that DiMaggio's historic run from 1941 is pretty safe. The most recent hitting streak remotely in the neighborhood of DiMaggio's was Jimmy Rollins' 38 in a row from 2005 and '06. It's a pretty safe bet that DiMaggio's streak is not in any immediate danger, mainly because hitting for average doesn't seem as important these days, and players also like to take days off.

Chamberlain holds a host of NBA records, and this one continues to stand the test of time pretty well. He last played in 1973, so it’s pretty impressive considering the likes of fellow legends Bill Russell and Kareem-Abdul Jabbar were there to rival. LeBron James is the closest active player to Wilt’s record with a little more than 11,700 boards. James is about to enter his 23rd NBA season, while Chamberlain got it done in 14.

Akin to Barry Bonds’ career home run record, this is another mark that is among the most celebrated in all of sports. Even though baseball has a love/hate relationship with the late Rose, who was a phenomenal  hitter. Rose and Ty Cobb are the only players to reach 4,000 hits. Meanwhile, the closest active player to even sniffing out Rose's streak is Freddie Freeman with more than 2,300 hits (as of July 1, 2025).

One of the most unforgettable records in sports history. Chamberlain’s memorable performance came while playing for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962. Wilt was 36-of-63 from the field and 28-of-32 from the free-throw line during that historic contest. The late Kobe Bryant scored 81 in 2006, but it still seems like a tall order for someone to catch Chamberlain's memorable evening. 

The late, great Henderson is the only player in Major League Baseball history to record at least 1,000 steals. There’s not even an active player close to this mark, and we won’t hold our breath until someone seriously threatens. Baseball has evolved to glorify the home run, so manufacturing runs on the base paths isn’t as appealing. However, the likes of Elly De La Cruz, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Oneil Cruz are doing their best to keep Rickey's base-stealing legacy alive.

The granddaddy of them all NFL records. The legendary Walter Payton held it for years (gaining 16,726 in 13 seasons), then Smith broke it and has held it after 15 stellar seasons (the last coming in 2004). And, it's likely to stay in place for a while. Current NFL running backs aren’t used the same way they were 20-plus years ago, and the NFL is a passing league. Derrick Henry enters the 2025 season as the NFL's active leading rusher (11,423 yards) after nine years on the job.

Yes, the transfer portal has impacted the women's college game just like the men's. So, which once seemed like a streak that could be broken sooner, maybe than later, could stick around longer as rosters tend to change more frequently. Still, the Huskies' 111 straight victories spanned from 2014 to 2017, and included two national championships, is a mighty task to top. Most impressive: 108 of those wins from coach Geno Auriemma's teams were won by double digits. The streak ended on March 31, 2017, via a buzzer-beating Final Four defeat to Mississippi State.

The Celtics’ dominant run spanned from 1959 to 1966, and it should be noted that they also made 10 consecutive NBA Finals appearances during that stretch. Not to be outdone, this is also the longest championship-winning streak in American  professional sports history. While those Chicago Bulls teams of the 1990s were quite impressive with six titles over an eight-season stretch, it still does not seriously compare with what the Celtics accomplished.

In this day of the transfer portal, one-and-dones and the rise of the G League as a proper developmental ground for the NBA, it's hard to imagine a program stringing together a run like the Bruins made from 1967-'73. During that stretch of dominance from John Wooden's UCLA program, it was ridiculously impressive, even if taken for granted. The Bruins were getting the best players in the country, they were sticking around for more than one or two years and everyone else was just trying to catch up. At the moment, Connecticut's back-to-back titles from 2023 and '24 look like a dynasty.

As noted, John Wooden's Bruins were quite remarkable in their accomplishments. Winning the aforementioned seven straight national titles was something, but the Bruins' 88-game winning streak from Jan. 19, 1971-Jan. 19, 1974, is also a record that we don't see being broken in the near future -- or at all, for that matter. The exact reasons apply: transfer portal, one-and-dones, etc. But, this group of Bruins under Wooden had star players flourishing within an unselfish system.

We’re not sure when, or if, somebody will catch the legendary swimmer. Though it's quite possible there will be another Olympian of the caliber of Phelps. And, swimming provides the perfect Olympic sport to achieve such dominance, due to the number of events and the ability to avoid injury more than in other sports. Perhaps most impressive about Phelps’ record is that he has won a total of 28 Olympic medals. Of those 23 golds, 13 came during individual events. Simply put, Phelps was a machine in the water.

It's remarkable to think about Ripken’s streak, which spanned May 30, 1982, to Sept. 19, 1998, when looking at the current state of MLB. Today's player, perhaps, holds the desire to avoid injury, rest the body, and make money more dearly than the love of the game. Of course, there have not been many players since Ripken who have played the game as consistently well. Whether there will be another like him remains to be seen.

The way pitchers are treated in today's game has severely diminished the value of pitching deep into contests. "Openers," spot-starters, and bullpen games have become the rage in today's MLB. Also, Young’s record is pretty daunting. Of course, Young did it all on the field during his playing days. The active major-league wins leader is Justin Verlander, with more than 262.