The highest salaries of athletes in the world. the largest contracts in world sports
Passion for sports is close to almost any teenager. Everyone can love sports, but only a few can boast of making it their life's work and earning millions of dollars. Big sport - big money.
Professional athletes did not think that a childhood hobby would grow into a profitable business of a lifetime. In the modern world, incomes are made up not so much of victories and awards, but of the salaries of organizations and advertising activities. For example, football players earn dozens of times more on PR for a cool brand than from the championship. And there are also large fees for the artificial "merging" of the game and for fixed matches. Bookmakers, bets, filming in commercials - all this together brings the player millions of accounts.
The big names of athletes are associated with fame and bundles of dollars. Is this really so, and who is considered the richest athlete in history and the modern world - you can find out from the ratings.
At the end of the article, we have prepared a surprise 🎁 - an exciting test to test your attentiveness 😃
The highest paid athletes according to Forbes
The ranking of the richest people is published annually in the American magazine Forbes. This includes politicians, businessmen, actors, and other influential people. There is also a TOP of successful and rich athletes. At the end of 2018, the following sports figures were immortalized on the pages of the magazine:
Floyd Mayweather
The MMA fighter managed to get a one-time fee of $ 275 million. It seems impossible, but in the world big sport this is a very real number. The fight with Conor McGregor was a turning point that elevated Mayweather not only to the top of the Forbes list, but also to the top three richest athletes in history. The historical fight was organized relatively quickly - in a month. The interest of the audience was fueled not only by the status of the fighters, but also by the skirmish that arose between them in in social networks.
Ten rounds of Floyd's lead ended in a technical knockdown. No one expected such a spectacle, and the provisional fees of both athletes increased significantly. In addition, Mayweather acted in the status of "side A", which means he dictated the terms of the fight. In addition to the fee, Floyd received huge funds from advertising and other events related to the large-scale fight.
The highest paid football player in the world at the end of 2018 is always put next to Beckham and Ronaldo. If we talk about the components of the annual income, then only for Messi it is the salary from the club that is the main one. So, by signing a contract with Barcelona, Messi's annual income has become an average of 100 million. The promotional activity of a football player is not particularly exciting. Of course, he collaborates with Adidas, Sumsung, Chery, PepsiCo and other brands, which brings him another 10-11 million a year. But this is not paramount for Messi.
Moreover, it seems that the athlete was not looking for a club where he would be well paid. He wanted to play with a team that could win. Just a game and just a talent that brought an unknown football player to the top of the Forbes list.
At the end of the year, Ronaldo lost the championship to Messi, but not by much - by $ 2 million. As a result, the average annual income of Cristiano was 108 million. As noted above, Cristiano is actively involved in advertising activities. Ronaldo has a $1 billion lifetime contract with Nike. In 2017-2018, the football player earned 61 million on the field, and 47 million from investors.
Cristiano loudly declares himself as the "most brilliant" football player and person. An ideal life, a career, a car - all these paraphernalia of a player increase income exponentially.
The mixed martial arts fighter received a $100 million fee for the same fight that brought Mayweather a record earnings. The star of the ring did not fight in vain - now McGregor has luxurious mansions on two continents - in Dublin and Las Vegas. Konon has never been shy about his love of big money and luxury cars.
Own fleet includes eight luxury cars - Mercedes, Cadillac, BMW. No one predicted untold wealth for the 29-year-old Irishman. He grew up in a poor family, studied plumbing. Perhaps life to adulthood in one of the most criminal cities in Ireland formed a fighting character and a desire for high-profile victories.
Brazilian forward with an average annual income of $ 90 million according to the Center for Sports Research became the most expensive player world, beating Messi, Ronaldo and Beckham. CIES Football Observatory focuses on the immediate value of a player on the football field, leaving the money of investors and advertising agencies unaccounted for.
That is, the evaluation criteria are the number of goals scored, participation in the championships, the average time spent in the club. The professional value of the player is taken into account in terms of the buyer's interest. Neymar's latest contract with Paris Saint-Germain is estimated to net him £350m by 2022.
The NBA player "Cleveland Cavaliers" is the leader among the highest paid basketball players in the world. The secret of LeBron's success is not so much in professional skills, but in a skillful marketing strategy. Since 2006, LeBron has founded LRMR Ventures and SpringHill Entertainment. In 2015, the media company Uninterrupted. Business revenues in 2018 amounted to $53 million, while direct play on the field brought the basketball player $35 million.
IN last years James is trying to move away from the athlete-brand model, but maintains partnerships with Nike, Coca-Cola and other high-profile manufacturers. So, he has been on the list of the richest basketball players for the fourth year with an annual salary of $ 88 million.
Tennis is considered the most profitable sport in terms of marketing. It is explained simply. Firstly, it is a year-round game, and secondly, it is popular everywhere. Thirdly, true fans are very wealthy people. Roger Federer has won in his entire brilliant career prize fund at $116 million. But this amount is infinitesimal compared to investment investments and advertising income. In the list of constant partners of Federer are Nike, Credit Seuss, Moet & Chandon.
For the first time, a player from the Golden State Warriors appeared among the highly paid basketball players in the NBA. Stefan's salary is $12 million, which allows him to be in 83rd place among NBA players. In addition, the title of a successful athlete is not yet familiar to young Stefan.
But Curry's advertising revenue has tripled since signing with the NBA. In 2018, Stefan's total income was $ 77 million, which allowed the young basketball player to enter the top ten richest athletes.
The American football athlete became the record holder for the highest income among the NFL players. Thus, the net salary is $30 million, guaranteed payments from the club in the region of $100 million, bonuses are equal to 46.5. Behind last year thanks to a successful contract with the Atlanta Falcons, Matt reached $ 67.3 million, which provided him with a place of honor in Forbes.
Another athlete of popular football in America earned $59 million in 2018. thanks to partnerships with Nike and PepsiCo, as well as a signed contract with the Detroit Lions until 2022.
This is how the TOP 10 most expensive and famous athletes modernity, from which it is clear that not a single Russian citizen has yet managed to conquer the "Olympic peak", but not a single player from the rating, except for Mayweather, bears the title of the richest athletes in history.
TOP 10 richest athletes in the history of the world
This top ten includes people with billions of dollars, stars that are legendary and that all newcomers try to emulate. There will be no facts from their history here, but only bare figures that modern Forbes leaders will envy. Their achievements in dollar terms are in the following ranking:
The state at the end of 2016 is estimated at $1.7 billion. Earnings from playing in the NBA amounted to 93 million - this is an absolute record among basketball players. The rest is advertising. Nike still pays Michael about $100 million a year because of the phenomenal success of the Jordan brand.
Who can argue with the fact that golf is profitable in the field of advertising? No wonder they say that golfers are the richest people on the planet. Tiger Woods breathes down the back of the leader of the rating with a total fortune of 1.65 billion dollars. Moreover, half of this fabulous amount is income from advertising. It should be noted that at present the golfer continues to sports career despite a recent injury.
The famous golfer's career lasted half a century - also a kind of record. Adding up salary, brand and sponsorship income, Palmer earned $1.35 billion. Unfortunately, the athlete recently died, but his name will forever take pride of place in the history of golf.
Jed retired from the world of golf in 2004 and has been in business ever since. The author of several hundred projects, managed to make a fortune - 1.15 billion dollars.
Schumacher is a household name, so it makes no sense to talk about career achievements. The seven-time world champion had a record salary of 80 million a year. During his life, the famous Schumacher became a dollar billionaire, earning $ 1 billion from racing.
Forbes has released its annual list of the 100 highest paid athletes in the world. Most of the places in the top ten were "captured" by basketball players, however, losing the first position to the star of Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo. And the only woman in the ranking was Serena Williams (51st place).
Here's what it looks like top 10 richest athletes in 2017.
10. Lewis Hamilton (auto racing)
Income - 46 million dollars
Few drivers have entered Formula 1 as brilliantly as Lewis Hamilton. His sensational run in 2007, in which Hamilton was just one point behind champion Kimi Raikkonen, remains one of the most remarkable rookie campaigns in history. In the following years, the British rider won three world championships and established himself as one of the most aggressive and tough riders in the world. To put it simply, when it comes to driving a Formula One car, there are very few areas that Hamilton isn't. absolute champion. He has a €140 million contract with the Mercedes factory team until the end of 2018.
Income - 46.6 million dollars
The NBA superstar who plays for the Houston Rockets is famous not only for his victories, but also for his magnificent beard, which has become a popular T-shirt print, inspired songs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMbibT7nhEg&feature= player_embedded#!) and even has a separate Twitter account. She makes the 27-year-old look older than he really is. Harden has a $200 million advertising deal with Adidas.
Income - 47.3 million dollars
In May 2016, Curry became the first person to be named the most valuable player in NBA history by unanimous vote, and one of 11 players to win the MVP (Most Valuable Player) award two years in a row. Curry has contracts with several companies, including the manufacturer sportswear and accessories Under Armor and Unilever (in this case a manly basketball player advertises Degree men's deodorant).
7. Rory McIlroy (golf)
Earned - 50 million dollars
Along with Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, McIlroy is one of three players to have won three Majors by age 25. This Northern Irish golfer is the current face of EA Sports' PGA Tour series.
6. Andrew Luck (American football)
Received for 2016-2017. - 50 million dollars
Quarterback player for the Indianapolis Colts. In 2016, Luck extended his contract with his club for six years. For this, he will receive $ 140 million, which makes the athlete the highest paid player in the league.
Annual earnings - 60.6 million dollars
The NBA super-forward has multi-million dollar advertising deals with Under Armor, Foot Locker and Nike. He is in Rio. At the same time, the dark-skinned giant is known not only as one of the best basketball players of all times, but also as a philanthropist, artist and writer. And in 2012, he tried his hand at cinematography, appearing in the movie "Like a Thunderbolt." True, the film received lukewarm reviews from audiences and critics alike, but that's not Durant's fault.
4. Roger Federer (tennis)
Financial receipts - 64 million dollars
The only tennis player on the list of the richest celebrities in the world of sports in 2017 is known for his good deeds. He founded the Federer Foundation, which helps children in the poorest regions of the world. Also, Federer native Switzerland Nickname "Sandwich Man" a large number of sponsorship contracts. In his advertising piggy bank such giants as Mercedes-Benz, Credit Suisse, Rolex, Gillette and Nike.
Revenues - 80 million dollars
The top three athletes with the highest earnings in 2017 are opened by the captain of Barcelona and the eternal rival of Cristiano Ronaldo for the title of the best football player in the world. Messi played in three World Cups (2006, 2010 and 2014) and three Football America's Cups (2007, 2011 and 2015). In the summer of 2008, he also played at the Beijing Olympics, and returned home with a gold medal. Messi earns his millions not only on the football field, he has advertising contracts with Adidas, Turkish Airlines, Lays and other brands.
2. LeBron James (basketball)
Earned - $86.2
The best player in the NBA has also become the highest paid basketball player in the world, and has every chance next year to oust the current king sports rating the rich. Not bad for a youngster who entered the 2003 NBA draft straight out of high school. James has a lifetime contract with Nike, as well as deals with Coca-Cola and Kia.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (football)
Received over the past year - 93 million dollars
For superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to top the Forbrs list of the highest paid sports stars, it was only to be expected, given that he had perhaps the most successful 12 months in football history. In addition to the recent UEFA Champions League victory, Ronaldo also won the title of the best player in the domestic La Liga, and won the European Championship with the Portuguese national team. And in December 2016, the football player was awarded the Golden Ball as best player peace. He extended his contract with Real Madrid, who will pay Cristiano over $50 million a year for the next four years.
The American business magazine Forbes recently published its annual ranking of the 100 highest paid athletes in the world. The experts calculated the earnings of players by adding up their prize money, salaries and income from advertising contracts in the period from June 2018 to June 2019.
The top 100 includes athletes from 25 countries and their combined earnings are up $4 billion or 5% from the previous year.
List of 100 richest athletes of 2019
| Place | Name | Income | Salary | Advertising | Kind of sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | $127M | $92M | $35M | Football |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | $109M | $65M | $44M | Football |
| 3 | Neymar | $105M | $75M | $30M | Football |
| 4 | Canelo Alvarez | $94M | $92M | $2M | Boxing |
| 5 | Roger Federer | $93.4M | $7.4M | $86M | Tennis |
| 6 | Russell Wilson | $89.5M | $80.5M | $9M | Football |
| 7 | Aaron Rodgers | $89.3M | $80.3M | $9M | Football |
| 8 | LeBron James | $89M | $36M | $53M | Basketball |
| 9 | Stephen Curry | $79.8M | $37.8M | $42M | Basketball |
| 10 | Kevin Durant | $65.4M | $30.4M | $35M | Basketball |
| 11 | Tiger Woods | $63.9M | $9.9M | $54M | Golf |
| 12 | Ben Roethlisberger | $55.5M | $54.5M | $1M | Football |
| 13 | Lewis Hamilton | $55M | $45M | $10M | auto racing |
| 13 | Anthony Joshua | $55M | $45M | $10M | Boxing |
| 13 | Khalil Mack | $55M | $54M | $1M | Football |
| 16 | Russell Westbrook | $53.7M | $35.7M | $18M | Basketball |
| 17 | Novak Djokovic | $50.6M | $20.6M | $30M | Tennis |
| 17 | Mike Trout | $50.6M | $47.6M | $3M | Baseball |
| 19 | Phil Mickelson | $48.4M | $12.4M | $36M | Golf |
| 20 | James Harden | $47.7M | $30.7M | $17M | Basketball |
| 21 | Conor McGregor | $47M | $32M | $15M | mixed fights |
| 22 | DeMarcus Lawrence | $46.9M | $46.8M | $150K | Football |
| 23 | Bryce Harper | $44.5M | $38M | $6.5M | Baseball |
| 24 | Chris Paul | $43.8M | $35.8M | $8M | Basketball |
| 25 | Kyrie Irving | $43.3M | $20.3M | $23M | Basketball |
| 26 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | $43.2M | $24.2M | $19M | Basketball |
| 27 | Drew Brees | $42.4M | $26.4M | $16M | Football |
| 28 | Aaron Donald | $41.4M | $40.9M | $500K | Football |
| 29 | Damian Lillard | $41.1M | $28.1M | $13M | Basketball |
| 30 | Sebastian Vettel | $40.3M | $40M | $300K | auto racing |
| 31 | Blake Griffin | $39.1M | $32.1M | $7M | Basketball |
| 32 | Rory McIlroy | $39M | $8M | $31M | Golf |
| 33 | Paul George | $38.6M | $30.6M | $8M | Basketball |
| 34 | Brandin Cooks | $38M | $37.5M | $500K | Football |
| 35 | Kei Nishikori | $37.3M | $4.3M | $33M | Tennis |
| 36 | Nick Foles | $35.8M | $33.8M | $2M | Football |
| 37 | Rafael Nadal | $35M | $9M | $26M | Tennis |
| 38 | Manny Machado | $34.8M | $34.3M | $500K | Baseball |
| 39 | Anthony Davis | $34.6M | $25.6M | $9M | Basketball |
| 40 | Gordon Hayward | $34.3M | $31.3M | $3M | Basketball |
| 40 | Clay Thompson | $34.3M | $19.3M | $15M | Basketball |
| 42 | Carmelo Anthony | $34M | $28M | $6M | Basketball |
| 43 | Kyle Lowry | $33.8M | $32.3M | $1.5M | Basketball |
| 44 | Paul Pogba | $33M | $29M | $4M | Football |
| 45 | DeMar DeRozan | $32.8M | $27.8M | $5M | Basketball |
| 46 | Andres Iniesta | $32.5M | $30M | $2.5M | Football |
| 47 | Justin Rose | $32.4M | $18.4M | $14M | Golf |
| 48 | Joel Embiid | $32.1M | $25.6M | $6.5M | Basketball |
| 49 | Al Horford | $32M | $29M | $3M | Basketball |
| 50 | David Price | $31.7M | $30.7M | $950K | Baseball |
| 51 | Mike Conley, Jr. | $31.5M | $30.5M | $1M | Basketball |
| 52 | Jordan Spieth | $31.1M | $2.1M | $29M | Golf |
| 53 | Alexis Sanchez | $30.8M | $28.3M | $2.5M | Football |
| 54 | Clayton Kershaw | $30.7M | $30M | $700K | Baseball |
| 55 | Kylian Mbappe | $30.6M | $26.6M | $4M | Football |
| 56 | Deontay Wilder | $30.5M | $30M | $500K | Boxing |
| 57 | Trey Flowers | $30.2M | $30M | $250K | Football |
| 57 | Mesut Ozil | $30.2M | $23.7M | $6.5M | Football |
| 59 | Paul Millsap | $30.1M | $29.6M | $500K | Basketball |
| 60 | Matt Ryan | $29.8M | $24.8M | $5M | Football |
| 61 | Justin Verlander | $29.5M | $28.5M | $1M | Baseball |
| 62 | Yoenis Cespedes | $29.4M | $29M | $400K | Baseball |
| 63 | Miguel Cabrera | $29.2M | $28.7M | $500K | Baseball |
| 63 | Serena Williams | $29.2M | $4.2M | $25M | Tennis |
| 65 | Geno Atkins | $29.1M | $29M | $75K | Football |
| 66 | Oscar | $29M | $27M | $2M | Football |
| 66 | Earl Thomas | $29M | $28.5M | $500K | Football |
| 68 | Jake Arrieta | $28.8M | $28.3M | $500K | Baseball |
| 68 | C.J. McCollum | $28.8M | $25.8M | $3M | Basketball |
| 70 | Kawhi Leonard | $28.7M | $23.2M | $5.5M | Basketball |
| 71 | Kevin Love | $28.4M | $24.4M | $4M | Basketball |
| 72 | Justin Houston | $28.2M | $28M | $200K | Football |
| 73 | Albert Pujols | $28M | $27.3M | $700K | Baseball |
| 74 | Dwight Howard | $27.8M | $24.3M | $3.5M | Basketball |
| 75 | Antoine Griezmann | $27.7M | $23.2M | $4.5M | Football |
| 76 | Jrue Holiday | $27.6M | $27.1M | $500K | Basketball |
| 77 | Giancarlo Stanton | $27.4M | $25.4M | $2M | Baseball |
| 78 | Steven Adams | $27.2M | $24.2M | $3M | Basketball |
| 79 | Gareth Bale | $27.1M | $20.6M | $6.5M | Football |
| 79 | Bradley Beal | $27.1M | $25.6M | $1.5M | Basketball |
| 81 | Tom Brady | $27M | $15M | $12M | Football |
| 82 | Andrew Luck | $26.9M | $24.1M | $2.8M | Football |
| 82 | C.J. Mosley | $26.9M | $26.7M | $150K | Football |
| 84 | Felix Hernandez | $26.6M | $26.3M | $300K | Baseball |
| 85 | Odell Beckham Jr. | $26.5M | $21.5M | $5M | Football |
| 85 | Otto Porter, Jr. | $26.5M | $26M | $500K | Basketball |
| 87 | Andre Drummond | $26.4M | $25.4M | $1M | Basketball |
| 88 | Harrison Barnes | $26.3M | $24.8M | $1.5M | Basketball |
| 89 | Nikola Jokic | $26.2M | $25.5M | $750K | Basketball |
| 89 | Hassan Whiteside | $26.2M | $25.4M | $750K | Basketball |
| 91 | Andrew Wiggins | $26.1M | $25.5M | $600K | Basketball |
| 92 | Manny Pacquiao | $26M | $24M | $2M | Boxing |
| 93 | Saquon Barkley | $25.8M | $21.3M | $4.5M | Football |
| 94 | J.D. Martinez | $25.6M | $24.9M | $700K | Baseball |
| 95 | Gennady Golovkin | $25.5M | $23M | $2.5M | Boxing |
| 96 | Joey Votto | $25.4M | $25.1M | $300K | Baseball |
| 97 | John Lester | $25.3M | $25M | $300K | Baseball |
| 98 | Marc Gasol | $25.1M | $24.1M | $1M | Basketball |
| 98 | Mohamed Salah | $25.1M | $16.1M | $9M | Football |
| 100 | Virat Kohli | $25M | $4M | $21M | Cricket |
10 most expensive athletes in the world
10. Kevin Durant (basketball) - $65.4 million
The basketball star isn't yet the richest athlete in the world, but he's firmly in the top 10 richest in sports, beating number 11 (Tiger Woods) by $1.5 million.
In 2018, Durant earned $35 million from sponsors (Google, Alaska Air Group, Nike, and others) and investments in more than 30 companies.
9. Stephen Curry (basketball) - $79.8 million
The point guard for the Golden State Warriors is one of the most sought-after athletes in the world in recent years. In 2017, he signed a contract for 200 million dollars.
In addition to their sports activities Curry also owns the production company Unanimous media. And his sponsorship list includes Chase, Nissan Motor, Under Armor, and more.
8. LeBron James (basketball) - $89 million
The Los Angeles Lakers forward is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and his inclusion among the highest paid athletes in the world in 2019 definitely confirms this opinion.
LeBron's team will face the Clippers at the Staples Center in December, according to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski. This will be the main Christmas game of the NBA.
7. Aaron Rodgers (Football) $89.3 million
The two-time MVP winner was ranked 7th on Forbes' 2019 list of the richest athletes in the world. Rodgers signed a four-year, $134 million contract with the Green Bay Packers last August. He also acquired a minority stake in the NBA Milwaukee Bucks.
6 Russell Wilson (Football) $89.5 million
The American football player recently became the highest paid player in the NFL after signing a four-year, $140 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson led the Seahawks to Super Bowl victory in 2013-14.
On top of his $80.5 million salary, Wilson received $9 million from his partners: Wilson Sporting Goods, Amazon, Alaska Air Group, Bose, Mercedes-Benz and Nike.
5. Roger Federer (tennis) - $93.4 million
The Swiss professional tennis player currently ranks third in the world in men's tennis. Federer is now nearing the end of his career, however he has been number one for 6 consecutive years and has won 19 grands prix in his career.
Federer has earned $86 million through his partners Credit Suisse, Mercedes-Benz and Rolex, making him the highest-paid athlete through promotional contracts. And Japanese sports giant Uniqlo signed the tennis star to a 10-year, $300 million deal last year.
4. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (boxing) - $94 million
One of boxing's brightest stars is also the richest athlete in his sport. He earned $92 million from in-ring performances, and Alvarez earned another $2 million from promotional deals with DAZN and Everlast.
DAZN committed $365 million in 2018 to fund Alvarez's next 11 fights. The first two fights on the streaming service netted the Mexican boxer around $50 million, with future fights potentially worth $35 million each.
3. Neymar (football) - $105 million
Messi's former teammate and Paris Saint-Germain star is the third richest athlete in the world.
A significant part of his income comes from numerous advertising contracts with DAZN, Beats Electronics, Electronic Arts, Gillette, Mastercard, McDonald's, Nike, Red Bull, TCL and many other companies.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (football) - $109 million
One of them currently plays for Juventus after joining Real Madrid in 2018.
Ronaldo is considered the best football player in the world and constantly fights with Lionel Messi for this title. In fact, over the past few years, these two players are the only ones to win the Player of the Year award.
Ronaldo also boasts an incredible social media following. He has recently become the most followed sports celebrity on Instagram, where he has nearly 400 million followers.
An impressive $44 million of Cristiano's total came from advertising deals with Nike, Herbalife, Altice, DAZN, MTG, Electronic Arts and many more.
1. Lionel Messi (football) - $127 million
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi topped the list of the highest paid athletes in the world for the first time, taking the place of boxer Floyd Mayweather, the leader of 2018.
And even Cristiano Ronaldo, who made one of last season, became only the second on the list.
The world's highest paid athlete earned around $35 million thanks to advertising partners such as Adidas, MasterCard, Gatorade, Huawei and PepsiCo.
Notably, this is the first time footballers have made it into the top three richest athletes since 1990 — that is, since Forbes began tracking the earnings of sports stars.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (32 years old, Portugal). Football - Real Madrid
Total income - $ 93 million (salary - 58, advertising - 35)
Ronaldo won the Champions League for the second time in a row, became a five-time winner of the Golden Ball (prize the best football player Europe), extended his contract with Real Madrid and signed a lifetime partnership with Nike, valued at around $1 billion.
2. LeBron James (32 years old, USA). Basketball - Cleveland Cavaliers
Total income - 86.2 million (salary - 31.2, advertising - 55)
James extended his contract with the club for three years, during which he will receive $ 100 million and, like Ronaldo, got a lifetime agreement with Nike.
3. Lionel Messi (30 years old, Argentina). Football - Barcelona
Total income - 80 million (salary - 53, advertising - 27)
Messi, who has recently been plagued by setbacks on the field, but whose club is at the top of the current Spanish championship, has upgraded to a lifetime contract with Adidas.
4. Roger Federer (36 years old, Switzerland). Tennis
Total income - 64 million (salary - 6, advertising - 58)
Federer won the Australian Open, his first Grand Slam title since 2012, and then Wimbledon, after which he signed several lucrative advertising deals. Including with the manufacturer of pasta and sauces Barilla for as much as 40 million.
5. Kevin Durant (29 years old, USA). Basketball - Golden State Warriors
Total income - 60.6 million (salary - 26.6, advertising - 34)
On the eve of last season, Durant signed a two-year, $54 million contract with the Warriors, and this year he became the NBA champion and Finals MVP. It is clear that the guy continues to cut coupons from multi-year agreements with many global brands, including Nike, BBVA, Panini and others.
6. Andrew Luck (28 years old, USA). American Football - Indianapolis Colts
Total income - 50 million (salary - 47, advertising - 3)
Back in 2016, Luck became the highest paid player in the league (123 million over 5 years, including a 32 million signing bonus). Marketers of major brands are only looking at it so far.
10 biggest contracts in world sports
7. Rory McIlroy (28 years old, Northern Ireland). Golf
Total income - 50 million (salary - 16, advertising - 34)
In April 2017, one of the strongest golfers in the world, the winner of four "majors" (the most prestigious men's professional golf tournaments) extended his cooperation with Nike for 10 years, which will bring him about 200 million.
8. Stephen Curry (29 years old, USA). Basketball - Golden State Warriors
Total income - 47.3 million (salary - 12.3, advertising - 35)
The 2017 NBA champion signed a new contract with the club in the summer: $ 201 million over the next five years, so he will certainly rise a few steps in the next ranking. In the meantime, Curry can take comfort in the fact that his advertising revenue has tripled in the past 12 months.
9. James Harden (28 years old, USA). Basketball - Houston Rockets
Total income - 46.6 million (salary - 26.6, advertising - 20)
Harden has a very lucrative deal with the club ($118 million over four seasons), and he has an excellent rating in the advertising market, with about a dozen companies using the image of one of the NBA's most technical players.
10. Lewis Hamilton (32 years old, UK). Auto racing - "Formula 1"
Total income - 46 million (salary - 38, advertising - 8)
Hamilton won the Formula 1 championship for the fourth time in his career in 2017 and is still the most popular driver in the world, who is hunted by large advertisers.
Forbes magazine has published the traditional rating of athletes who earned the most in 2017. In general, the first hundred earned 3.8 billion dollars. Athletes represent 23 countries, and 65 of them play basketball. Most of all in the top 100 - basketball players - 40 players.
Floyd Mayweather, boxing. $285 million
American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. was the highest paid athlete last year. In 2017, he had only one fight - the so-called "money fight" against the Irish mixed martial arts champion Conor McGregor. The American received $275 million in prize money.
Another 10 million dollars brought the boxer sponsorship contracts.
It is worth adding that this is the fourth time in the last seven years that an American leads the ranking of athletes who have earned the most in a year. In terms of his income, he is approaching the mark of $ 1 billion.
Lionel Messi, football. $111 million
Second on the list is Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi. The Argentine has climbed to second position thanks to a new 5-year contract with the Spanish club that will see him earn more than $80 million a year (including bonuses). This made the player the highest paid football player in the world. He also has a lot of sponsorship contracts. In addition, the Messi Experience Park is due to open in Nanjing, China in 2020.
Cristiano Ronaldo, football. $108 million
The Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo earned slightly less in 2017. At the same time, the football player has a lower salary in the Spanish Real Madrid - about $ 50 million than Messi, but earns significantly more on sponsorship contracts and his own business of the CR7 trademark, and hotels and restaurants.
At the same time, Ronaldo remains the most followed athlete in the world with 322 million followers worldwide.
Conor McGregor, mixed martial arts. $99 million
Despite the Irishman having far more fights than Floyd Mayweather, a head-to-head loss kept him from earning more than $100 million. However, sponsors brought him a lot, which turned out to be quite a lot.
Neymar football. $90 million
Closes the top 5 is another player. This is the Brazilian Neymar, who moved from Barcelona to PSG in the summer of 2017 for a record 222 million euros. According to the contract, for 5 years (until 2022) in Paris, the player will earn 350 million dollars. The rest of his income comes from sponsorship contracts.
Also on the list are basketball player LeBron James ($85.5 million), tennis player Roger Federer ($77.2 million), basketball player Stephen Curry ($76.9 million) and two players in American football- Matt Ryan ($67.3 million) and Matthew Stafford ($59.5 million).
Top 10 highest paid athletes in the world
The highest paid Formula 1 driver is Lewis Hamilton ($51 million, 12th), in golf the lead is held by Tiger Woods ($43.3 million, 16th). Athlete Usain Bolt is in 45th place with $31 million earnings. Last in the top 100 is basketball player Nicolas Batum with an income of $22.9 million. There are no Ukrainians on the list.
It is worth noting that the majority of the list are athletes playing in the American leagues - NBA, NFL and MLB. At the same time, there is not a single hockey player on the list.
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