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The magazine Time included the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, in its annual list TIME100 of the 100 most influential people in the world this year, within the leaders category.
This is a recognition that consolidates its growing influence in international politics during Donald Trump's second term.
Rubio shares that elite group with top figures such as Trump himself, Pope Leo XIV, the President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu, among other leaders who are currently shaping the global agenda.
Rubio's election -as described by the magazine itself- is closely linked to his political rise and the accumulation of power he has achieved in Washington.
Time recalls that the Cuban-American Republican politician, “formerly a staunch rival and biting critic of Donald Trump”, has made a decisive turn to become one of the most influential figures in the presidential landscape.
That change has resulted in an unprecedented position.
Rubio “has consolidated himself in two of the most influential positions in Washington: Secretary of State and National Security Advisor”; a level of concentration of power that “had only been held once before by Henry Kissinger.”
In that dual role, the former senator from Florida is at the center of some of the most delicate decisions in U.S. foreign policy.
The publication highlights its participation in high-impact events, such as the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the massive joint military strike against Iran, and the negotiations to end conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
He has also led "the delicate diplomatic discussions on tariffs, immigration, and even Greenland."
In parallel, Time emphasizes Rubio's political repositioning within the Trumpist movement.
“The swift shift from critic of Trump to executor of his foreign policy has repaired Rubio's relationship with the MAGA base,” notes the magazine, which even positions him as a potential successor in the future political landscape of Trumpism.
However, that prominence carries risks.
According to the publication, Rubio “now owns Trump's legacy in a way that could someday be problematic”, in a context where “betting on Trump's instincts is as risky as it is potentially very rewarding.”
Concentrated power and key decisions
The inclusion of the Secretary of State in the TIME100 reflects the significant influence he has gained in U.S. foreign policy.
Rubio simultaneously serves as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, a dual role that positions him as one of the most influential figures in the administration.
From that position, he has played a key role in high-impact decisions: the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, a joint military assault against Iran, and peace negotiations in Ukraine and the Middle East, in addition to managing crucial diplomatic files related to tariffs, immigration, and even Greenland.
His political profile is also marked by his background.
Son of Cuban immigrants - Mario Rubio and Oria García - who arrived in the United States in 1956, before the Revolution, was born in Miami in 1971.
He was confirmed as Secretary of State on January 20, 2025, with 99 votes in favor and none against, becoming the first Hispanic to hold that position.
That legacy has influenced its policy towards Cuba. Since January 2025, the Trump administration has imposed over 240 sanctions against the island under its leadership, including a travel ban to the United States for Miguel Díaz-Canel, as well as for high-ranking military officials and their families.
In that context, Trump also signed an executive order that declared Cuba an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to national security.
The president himself has publicly praised Marco Rubio's management.
On March 6th, Trump stated that Rubio will be remembered as the best Secretary of State in the history of this country, and he hinted that his "next project will be Cuba."
The TIME100: global influence in six categories
The TIME100 has been published since 1999 as an annual snapshot of global influence.
The magazine insists that it is not an award, but rather an editorial exercise based on analyzing the impact of each figure, under the premise that "there is no single metric to define influence."
The 2026 edition is divided into six categories - artists, titans, innovators, icons, leaders, and pioneers - and, as a new feature, it includes the inaugural TIME100 Sports list, while also continuing its traditional gala and summit in New York.
Complete list of leaders (Politics)
-Donald Trump (President of the U.S.)-
-Claudia Sheinbaum (President of Mexico).
-Pope Leo XIV.
-Xi Jinping (Leader of China).
-Mark Carney (Prime Minister of Canada).
-Marco Rubio (Secretary of State of the U.S.).
-Benjamin Netanyahu (Prime Minister of Israel).
-Tarique Rahman (Prime Minister of Bangladesh).
-Rafael Mariano Grossi (Director of the IAEA).
-Mette Frederiksen (Prime Minister of Denmark).
-Gavin Newsom (Governor of California).
-Mark Kelly (U.S. Senator).
-Susie Wiles (Chief of Staff of the White House).
-Keir Starmer (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom).
-Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (Namibia).
-Zohran Mamdani (New York Politician).
-Sanae Takaichi (Japan).
-Balendra Shah (Nepal).
-Henna Virkkunen (European Commissioner).
-Steve Witkoff.
Artists and Icons (Culture)
Zoe Saldaña
Luke Combs
Wagner Moura
Nikki Glaser
Dakota Johnson
Jennie (Blackpink)
Victoria Beckham
Ralph Lauren
Kate Hudson
Ben Stiller
Benicio Del Toro
Ethan Hawke
Hilary Duff
Jonathan Groff
Alan Cumming
Noah Kahan
Coco Jones
Ranbir Kapoor
Claire Danes
Sterling K. Brown
Titans and Innovators (Business and Technology)
Sundar Pichai
Dario and Daniela Amodei
MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson)
Gwynne Shotwell
Jensen Huang
Sam Altman
Mark Zuckerberg
Elon Musk
C.C. Wei
Michael Dell and Susan Dell
Neal Mohan
Josh D’Amaro
Jeremy Allaire
David Ellison
Aliko Dangote
Fatih Birol
Sarah Friar
John Furner
Lip-Bu Tan
Lisa Su
Pioneers and Defenders (Health and Society)
Dolores Huerta
Shirin Ebadi
Mari Luz Canaquiri Murayari
Kiran Musunuru
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Chris Hemsworth
Mike Doustdar
Jesse Eisenberg
Mariangela Hungria
Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas
Dan Caine
Precious Matsoso
Zabib Musa Loro
Kica Matos
Shannon Minter
Other highlighted profiles
Lando Norris
Scottie Scheffler
Hilary Knight
Noah Lyles
Chloe Kim
Reid Wiseman
Rauw Alejandro
Mashama Bailey
Karoline Leavitt
Jacob Frey
Anne-Claire Amprou
Luciano Moreira
Lauren Hersh
Rachel Foster
Sabrina Walter
Manado Amadou Ly
Tony Tyson
Cindy Eckert
Victor Bultó
Rob Davis
David Ricks
Karan Singhal
Rhea Seehorn
Jafar Panahi
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