On Tuesday, June 11, Forbes released its list of the highest-paid athletes in the world. The annual list compiles the top athletes’ earnings by combining salary, winnings, and endorsements. The list features athletes from soccer, boxing, tennis, professional football, and professional basketball.
Topping the list was soccer star Lionel Messi. Messi, who plays internationally for Argentina and for Spanish club Barcelona, racked in a whopping $127 million. $92 million of Messi’s earnings came from salary and winnings, while $35 million came from endorsements. Last year, Messi was at No. 2 on the list behind undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.
The three top athletes on the list all come from the world of soccer and they are the only athletes to top the $100 million mark.
Cristiano Ronaldo sits in the No. 2 spot with $102 million, while Neymar racked in $105.
Rounding out the top five was boxing star Canelo Alvarez with $94 million at No. 4 and tennis star Roger Federer at $93.4 million.
The highest-earning NFL player on the list was Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson with $89.5 million, while Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James earned $89 million to be the top NBA athlete on the list.
Tiger Woods just missed out on the top 10 with $63.9 to earn the No. 11 spot. A total of $54 million for Woods came from endorsements. F-1 racing star Lewis Hamilton was the biggest surprise in the top 15, sitting at No. 13 with $55 million.
There were no NHL players in the top 50.
A full look at the top 10 highest-paid athletes in the world can be seen below.
Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes in the World
1. Lionel Messi $127 million
2. Cristiano Ronaldo $109 million
3. Neymar $105 million
4. Canelo Alvarez $94 million
5. Roger Federer $93.4 million
6. Russell Wilson $89.5 million
7. Aaron Rodgers $89.3 million
8. LeBron James $89 million
9. Steph Curry $79.8 million
10. Kevin Durant $65.4 million
For a full list of the top-earning athletes in the world throughout the past year, check out the entire list on Forbes.com.
