Regardless of whether it’s an individual sport or a team sport – physical activity plays a big role in some people’s everyday lives. While we keep our own bodies in shape in the gym, we admire the great athletes of our time on the screen. The world of sports is known not only for excellence and competition, but also for the immense financial reward that some of the best athletes in the world achieve. From football to basketball to boxing and tennis, professional athletes around the world have built enormous fortunes. This happens not only through the performance they provide in sport, but also through sponsorship, clever marketing and entrepreneurship. But who is actually one of the richest athletes and how much do they earn?
Overview: Top 10 richest athletes worldwide
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1st place: Christiano Ronaldo ($136 million)
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2nd place: Lionel Messi ($130 million)
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3rd place: Kylian Mbappé ($120 million)
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4th place: LeBron James ($119.5 million)
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5th place: Canelo Alvarez ($110 million)
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6th place: Dustin Johnson ($107 million)
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7th place: Phil Mickelson ($106 million)
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8th place: Stephen Curry ($100.4 million)
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9th place: Roger Federer ($95.1 million)
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10th place: Kevin Durant ($89.1 million)
The values are based on the analysis of the business magazine Forbes in the period between May 2022 and May 2023. The data comes from various sources such as industry insiders, sports management companies, news reports and salary databases. Forbes The analysis takes into account not only the salary of the respective athlete, but also other income that is generated through advertising or sponsorship contracts.
The richest athlete in the world: Christiano Ronaldo
Unsurprisingly, Portuguese footballer Christiano Ronaldo has a total annual salary of $136 million the highest paid athlete in the world. The footballer was born in Portugal on February 5, 1985 and started his career in 2002. Loud Forbes Ronaldo earns around $46 million a year from his sport, while his other income off the field amounts to around $90 million. The footballer currently plays in Saudi Arabia for the al-NASSR FC club.
Second richest athlete in the world: Lionel Messi
We stick with the sport of football and change the player: Lionel Messi, born on June 24, 1987 in Argentina, has a total earnings of around $130 million 2nd richest athlete in the world. Loud Forbes His total earnings are divided into two parts: On the field he earns around 65 million US dollars a year and off the field, for example through sponsorship contracts or advertising revenue, he also earns 65 million US dollars. Messi has a lifetime contract with Adidas and has founded his own fashion label. The footballer played as a striker for Paris Saint-Germain until the end of June 2023. It has now been confirmed that he will continue his career in Miami.
Third place among the richest athletes: Kylian Mbappé
A footballer also occupies third place among the richest athletes in the world: Kylian Mbappé was born on December 20, 1998 in Paris and has total annual earnings of around $120 million. How Forbes According to reports, he earns a large part of it through his own efforts on the field, around 100 million US dollars, while he earns around 20 million US dollars a year from other income. At the 2018 World Cup, the then 19-year-old was considered the second youngest soccer player to take part in the World Cup. Mbappé currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain.
LeBron James is the fourth richest athlete in the world
Not only can you accumulate a fortune with football, you can also make a lot of money with basketball. This is shown by the successful basketball player LeBron James, born on December 30, 1984 in Ohio, USA. His total earning is loud Forbes on $119.5 million. He earns most of it through additional income of around $75 million. How Forbes reports, the basketball player founded a primary school with his foundation in 2018 and donated $40 million to provide children with education. James currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.
5th richest athlete in the world: Canelo Alvarez
A sport that hasn’t been mentioned yet: boxing. The boxer Canelo Alvarez discovered this sport and celebrated many successes that brought him financial wealth. The professional boxer was born on July 18, 1990 in Mexico. He takes around $110 million annually and has made it to the fifth place of the richest athletes. According to him, he only takes $10 million Forbes through income outside the field of play. Alvarez also values good food: He owns a taco restaurant in Mexico.
Dustin Johnson is the 6th richest athlete
The sport that made Dustin Johnson famous has less to do with fighting and more to do with balls that you don’t touch with your foot: the sport is called golf and Dustin Johnson is almost always associated with golf. No wonder – with total earnings of around $107 million per year he is one of the richest athletes in the world. How Forbes According to reports, the 39-year-old earns around $105 million from his on-field bets.
Ranked 7th richest athlete in the world: Phil Meckelson
The also famous golfer, Phil Meckelson, born on June 16, 1970, has a total earning of $106 million ranked seventh among the richest athletes in the world. He earns two million of his total assets from other sources of income, such as Forbes reported. In 2021, Mickelson won the PGA Championship at age 50, becoming the oldest major winner in golf history.
Stephen Curry is the 8th richest athlete in the world
The basketball player Stephen Curry makes it with a total earnings of $100.4 million the eighth richest athlete in the world. Loud Forbes The 35-year-old earns around $52 million from additional income off the field and $48.4 million from his own efforts on the field. The Curry collection competes with specifications from Forbes according to the Jordan brand from Nike. The American currently plays for the Golden State Warriors team.
9th richest athlete in the world: Roger Federer
It’s not just through basketball that you can build a fortune, Roger Federer has it with a total annual income of $95.1 million He also made it onto the list of the richest athletes in the world with the sport of tennis. Federer was born on August 8, 1981 in Switzerland and put part of his fortune into the foundation he founded, worth around $50 million Forbes, in the education of 1.5 million African children. The tennis player earns approximately $95 million from off-court activities and earnings, which is because he is no longer an active tennis player on the court and has ended his career after more than 20 years.
Kevin Durant is the 10th richest athlete in the world
The American basketball player Kevin Durant earns a total annual salary of around $89.1 million. The 34-year-old currently plays for the Phoenix Suns. He earns approximately $44.1 million from playing games and approximately $45 million from other income. Forbes According to Durant, his company 35V has invested in more than 80 companies.
