Association football (soccer) •
John Ryan (footballer, born 1930) (1930–2008), Scottish football player •
John Ryan (footballer, born 1947) (born 1947), English football player and manager •
John Ryan (footballer, born 1962), English football player •
John Ryan (footballer, born 1968), Irish football player •
John Ryan (footballer, born 2004), Irish football player
Baseball •
Johnny Ryan (baseball) (1853–1902), American baseball player •
John Ryan (pitcher) (fl. 1880s), American baseball player •
Blondy Ryan (John Collins Ryan, 1906–1959), American baseball shortstop
Hurling •
John Ryan (Dublin hurler), Dublin hurler of the 1910s •
Johnny Ryan (hurler, born 1914) (1914–1997), Tipperary hurler of the 1930s-40s •
John Ryan (Galway hurler) (1958–2003), Irish hurler •
Johnny Ryan (hurler, born 1988), Tipperary hurler of the 2010s
Rugby •
John Ryan (rugby union coach) (1939–2022), Welsh rugby union coach •
John Ryan (rugby, born 1948) (1948–1982), Australian rugby union and rugby league player •
John Ryan (rugby union, born 1988), Irish rugby union player
Other sports •
John Ryan (jockey); Jockey who competed in the
1859 Grand National •
John J. Ryan (1886–1950), American college football coach at Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin •
John Ryan (runner) (1893–1963), Irish Olympic distance runner •
John Ryan (Australian rules footballer) (1909–1989), Australian rules footballer for Essendon and Fitzroy •
John Ryan (judoka) (1934–1989), Irish judoka •
Johnny Ryan (Australian footballer) (born 1938), Australian rules footballer for Richmond •
John Ryan (swimmer) (born 1944), Australian Olympic swimmer •
Jon Ryan (born 1981), Canadian football punter ==Writers==