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Top 10 highest-paid athletes in the world

In 2024, the competition among the highest-paid athletes has reached new heights, with top stars across various sports earning millions through salaries, bonuses, and lucrative endorsement deals. According to the latest data from Forbes, the combined earnings of the top 10 highest-paid athletes this year have set a new standard, showcasing the immense financial impact of both on-field performance and off-field ventures.

1. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi's earnings in 2020 and the first half of 2021 were $130 million with a record $674 million contract with Barcelona. Messi's earnings on the pitch were $96 million and off the pitch were $33 million. Lionel Andrés Messi (born June 24, 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national football team. Considered the best player in the world and one of the greatest players of all time, Messi holds a record 7 Ballon d'Or awards, 6 European Golden Shoes and in 2020 was included in the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. Before leaving the club in 2021, he spent his entire career at Barcelona, ​​where he won a record 35 club titles, including 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Reys and 4 UEFA Champions Leagues.

A prolific goalscorer and leading assist provider, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga (474), most goals in a La Liga season (50), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and UEFA Champions League (8), most assists in La Liga (192), most assists in a La Liga season (21) and Copa América (17). He also holds the record for most international goals in a South American male player (81). He has scored over 750 career goals for club and country, making him the player with the most goals for a single club. Born and raised in central Argentina, Messi moved to Spain and joined Barcelona at the age of 13, making his debut for the club's first team at the age of 17 on 16 October 2004, when he was brought on by Frank Rijkaard. He became a key player for the club over the next three years. In his first season, which was not interrupted by injury, he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football.
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2. Cristiano Ronaldo

Next is Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo with a net worth of $115 million. Of which, his income from his shirt and shorts work is $70 million, and from off-field contracts is $50 million. Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, is a Portuguese professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Manchester United and is the captain of the Portuguese national football team. Considered the best player in the world and one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo is the owner of 5 European Golden Balls and 4 European Golden Shoes, both of which are records for a European player. He has won 32 titles in his career, including 7 national championships, 5 UEFA Champions Leagues, 1 UEFA European Championship and 1 UEFA Nations League. Ronaldo holds the records for the most international appearances (188), most international goals (117), most appearances (183), most goals (140) and most assists (42) by a European male player in the UEFA Champions League, and most goals scored in the UEFA European Football Championship (14). He is one of the world's most famous and marketed athletes, with Ronaldo being ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2016 and 2017 and the world's most famous athlete by ESPN from 2016 to 2019. He was also named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time in 2014. Ronaldo is the first footballer, and only the third athlete, to earn $1 billion during his career. On 12 March 2022, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in a 3–2 win over Tottenham, taking his total to 807. He is believed to hold the record for most goals scored in professional football, although the Football Association of the Czech Republic argues that Josef Bican scored 821 goals. On 16 April, he scored his 50th club hat-trick in a 3–2 win over Norwich City. On 23 April, he scored his 100th Premier League goal in a 1–3 loss to Arsenal. He was named Premier League Player of the Month for April 2022.

One of the world's most famous and marketed athletes, Ronaldo was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2016 and 2017 and the world's most famous athlete by ESPN from 2016 to 2019. He was also named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time in 2014. Ronaldo is the first footballer, and only the third sportsperson, to earn $1 billion during his career. On 12 March 2022, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in a 3–2 win over Tottenham, taking his total to 807. He is believed to hold the record for most goals scored in professional football, although the Football Association of the Czech Republic argues that Josef Bican scored 821 goals. On 16 April, he scored his 50th club hat-trick in a 3–2 win over Norwich City. On 23 April, he scored his 100th Premier League goal in a 1–3 loss to Arsenal. He was named Premier League Player of the Month for April 2022.
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3. LeBron James

Standing in second place is basketball superstar LeBron James with a total income of 121.2 million USD. The amount is also a new record in the NBA. LeBron James was born on December 30, 1984, is an American professional basketball player, currently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers basketball club in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lebron is considered one of the best basketball players of all time, often compared to Michael Jordan. His achievements include four NBA championships, 4 NBA MVP titles, 4 NBA Finals MVP titles, and 2 Olympic gold medals.

LeBron James has appeared in eight consecutive NBA Finals from the 2011 to 2018 seasons. He is currently the NBA's leading scorer, third in the NBA's scoring list, and eighth in the NBA's all-time points list. LeBron has appeared on the NBA's All-NBA First Team 12 times, as well as five All-Defensive First Team appearances, and has participated in 16 All-Star Games and won the MVP award three times. LeBron played basketball at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, where he averaged 25.2 points and 5.8 assists per game, and was widely considered a future NBA superstar.
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4. Rayne Dakota Prescott

Prescott, the American football quarterback with a salary of $92.5 million, broke the record in NFL history with a signing bonus of $66 million from the Dallas Cowboys. Rayne Dakota Prescott (born July 29, 1993) is an American quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State and was selected by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Intended as a backup during his rookie season, Prescott became the Cowboys' starting quarterback after starter Tony Romo was injured the previous season. He was recognized throughout the year for his on-field success, including helping the Cowboys earn the top seed in their conference. He set several rookie quarterback records and was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year while also earning a Pro Bowl selection.

Prescott started as Russell's backup again in the 2013 season, but took over the starting role when Russell suffered a concussion. He played in 11 games, completing 156 of 267 passes for 1,940 yards with 10 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Prescott received further national recognition by being named to several national award watch lists, including being named a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, a semifinalist for both the Maxwell Award and the Davey O'Brien Award, being named to the watch lists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, the Manning Award, the Wuerffel Trophy and the Senior Bowl, and winning the Senior CLASS Award as well as being named the NCAA Today Top 10 of the Year in 2017. For the season, he passed for 3,793 yards, 29 touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns. During his career, Prescott ranks third in SEC history in total yards and fourth in total touchdowns. He holds 38 school records.
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5. Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior

Neymar earnings: $76 million (football); $19 million (non-football). Total: $95 million. Neymar, born February 5, 1992, commonly known as Neymar or Neymar Jr., is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a forward for French club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team. Neymar rose to fame as a child at Santos, where he began his career at the age of 17. He helped the club win two Campeonato Paulista titles, the Copa do Brasil and the 2011 Copa Libertadores, Santos' first continental title since 1963. Neymar was twice named South American Footballer of the Year, in 2011 and 2012, before moving to Europe to join Barcelona. As part of Barça's attacking trio alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, he won the treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League in 2014–15, followed by a domestic double the following year. He was awarded the FIFA Bronze Ball in 2015 and 2017. In August 2017, Neymar moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record €200 million, making him the world's most expensive player. With 64 goals in 103 appearances for Brazil since making his debut at the age of 18, Neymar is the second-highest goalscorer for the Brazil national football team. He was a key player in Brazil's triumph at the 2011 South American Youth Championship, where he was the tournament's top scorer, and the 2013 Confederations Cup, where he was named the tournament's Golden Ball. He played at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 Copa América, then suffered a period of injury and missed time, but the following year he captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men's football at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Known for his dribbling, scoring and ability with both feet, Neymar has been compared to former Brazil and Santos striker Pelé. On the pitch, he is one of the most famous athletes in the world; SportsPro named him the most famous athlete in the world in 2012 and 2013, and ESPN named him the fourth most famous athlete in the world in 2016.
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6. Roger Federer

Next on the list is Roger Federer with earnings: $30,000 (on the field); $90 million (off the field). Total: $90.7 million. Roger Federer was born on August 8, 1981, is a Swiss professional tennis player nicknamed FedEx. Roger Federer is considered by many experts, former players and many tennis players to be one of the best and greatest tennis players of all time. Federer is also the richest tennis player in the world and one of the richest athletes in the history of sports, with total assets and earnings reaching the milestone of $1 billion. Federer holds several tennis records, including being ranked world number one for 237 consecutive weeks from 2 February 2004 to 17 August 2008. He previously held the record for most weeks at number one with 310 weeks, until Novak Djokovic broke it on 8 March 2021. On 16 July 2012, he officially broke Pete Sampras' record of 286 weeks at number one. He is also the only player in history to win five consecutive Wimbledon and US Open titles. Federer has won 20 Grand Slam titles, with a record eight Wimbledons, six Australian Opens, five US Opens, and one French Open. Federer is also one of eight men's tennis players in history to have won all four Grand Slam tournaments. He also holds the record for reaching 31 Grand Slam finals, including 10 consecutive ones from Wimbledon 2005 to the US Open 2007. After winning his seventh Wimbledon in 2012, Roger Federer returned to the No. 1 ranking in the ATP rankings and spent a total of 310 weeks as world No. 1 (as of 21 May 2018). In addition, he is the third player in the Open Era to reach 1,000 match wins. On 19 February 2018, Federer officially became the oldest player in history to reach the world No. 1 ranking at 36 years and 195 days, surpassing Andre Agassi's 33 years and 133 days. Federer also won the 2008 Olympic gold medal in men's doubles with Stan Wawrinka, and the silver medal in men's singles at the 2012 Olympics. Representing Switzerland, he was part of the team that won the Hopman Cup in 2001, 2018, 2019 and the Davis Cup in 2014.
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7. Kevin Durant

Next is Kevin Durant's income on the Forbes list at $92.1 million, much higher than the $65.4 million of the 10th place in 2019, also belonging to Kevin Durant. Kevin Wayne Durant was born on September 29, 1988, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Texas Longhorns and was selected as the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2007 NBA draft. He played nine seasons with the franchise, which became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, before signing with the Golden State Warriors in 2016, winning back-to-back NBA championships in 2017 and 2018. After suffering an Achilles injury in the 2019 Finals, he joined the Nets as a free agent that summer. Durant is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time.

Durant was a highly recruited high school prospect, considered by many to be the second-best player in his class. In college, he won numerous end-of-year awards and became the first freshman to be named Naismith College Player of the Year. As a professional, he has won two NBA championships, one NBA Most Valuable Player Award, two Finals MVP Awards, two NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Awards, four NBA scoring titles, an NBA Rookie of the Year Award, been named to ten All-NBA teams (including six First Teams), and has been selected as an NBA All-Star 12 times. In 2021, Durant was named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. As a member of the United States men's national team, Durant has won three Olympic gold medals (2012, 2016, and 2020) and is the all-time leading scorer in Team USA men's Olympic basketball history. He also won a gold medal at the 2010 FIBA ​​World Championship.
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8. Tom Brady

Tom Brady earnings: $45 million (football); nearly $40 million (off the field). Total: $83.9 million. Brady, born August 3, 1977, is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent the first 20 seasons of his career with the New England Patriots, appearing in 10 Super Bowls and winning seven (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX, LI, LIII, and LV), both of which he holds the record for most by a player in NFL history. He has won a record five Super Bowl MVP awards (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XLIX, LI, and LV) as well as three NFL MVP awards (2007, 2010, 2017). Many sportswriters, commentators, and players consider Brady to be the greatest NFL player of all time.

After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was selected 199th overall by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, leading to his eventual being considered the NFL's greatest draft steal. He became the starting quarterback in his second season, which saw the Patriots win their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVI. As the team's starting quarterback for 18 seasons, Brady led the Patriots to 17 division titles (including 11 consecutive titles from 2009 to 2019), 13 AFC Championships (including eight consecutive from 2011 to 2018), nine Super Bowl appearances, and six Super Bowl titles, all NFL records for a player and franchise. He joined the Buccaneers in 2020 and led them to Super Bowl LV, extending his personal record to 10 Super Bowl appearances and seven wins.
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9. Canelo Alvarez

Canelo Alvarez with earnings of $90 million, Santos Saúl 'Canelo' Álvarez Barragán born July 18, 1990, is a Mexican professional boxer. He is a four-division world champion in light middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight, and light heavyweight, and a unified champion in three of those four divisions. Álvarez is the undisputed world super middleweight champion, holding the WBA Super, WBC, The Ring belts since 2020, the WBO since May, and the IBF since November 2021, becoming the sixth boxer in boxing history to hold the four major world titles simultaneously.

Álvarez is known as an excellent counterpuncher, renowned for his ability to exploit gaps in his opponent's defense, both moving flexibly to avoid his opponent's attacks and counterattacking. He is also known as a formidable fighter in attacking his opponent's body, especially the weak point of the liver in combat. As of June 2021, Álvarez is ranked as the world's most active boxer, P4P (pound for pound) by BoxRec; The Ring; Boxing Writers Association of America; TBRB; in addition, ESPN, The Ring, TBRB and ESPN rank him as the world's most active and best super middleweight.
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10. Giannis Antetokounmpo

On this year's list, Giannis Antetokounmpo is last with $80.9 million in earnings. Giannis Antetokounmpo (born December 6, 1994) is a Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born and raised in Athens to Nigerian immigrants, Antetokounmpo began playing basketball for the youth teams of Filathlitikos in Athens. In 2011, he began playing for the club's senior team before entering the NBA draft in 2013, where he was selected 15th overall by the Bucks. In 2016–17, he led the Bucks in all five major statistical categories and became the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season in the top 20 in all five statistics: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. He received the Most Improved Player award in 2017.

Antetokounmpo has received six All-Star selections, including being named an All-Star captain in 2019 and 2020, when he led the Eastern Conference in voting in those two years. One of the most beloved players in basketball, Antetokounmpo won back-to-back NBA Most Valuable Player awards in 2019 and 2020, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to win two MVPs before turning 26. Along with his MVP, he was also named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, becoming the third player after Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1994) to win both awards in the same season. In 2021, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971 and was named Finals MVP. That same year, he was named one of the league's greatest players of all time when he was named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.
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