Lionel Messi was the highest-paid sports activities star in 2022 – pipping LeBron James to high spot.
The World Cup winner is one in every of three footballers to make the Forbes high ten listing, alongside PSG teammate Neymar and rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi has a number of big-money endorsements and now earns as a lot off the pitch as Ronaldo, whose Manchester United wage was lower in the summertime.
The Portuguese is now and not using a membership however maintains his place because the third highest-paid athlete of the 12 months.
That’s because of Conor McGregor dropping out of the highest ten – the UFC star didn’t have a single combat in 2022 attributable to harm points.
Different large names have slipped out of the highest ten together with Sir Lewis Hamilton, and which means there’s house for 4 basketballers included – essentially the most of any sport.
Kylian Mbappe, Tyson Fury, Max Verstappen and Tiger Woods all miss out, so who’re the highest ten highest paid athletes of 2022?
10. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Basketball – $A118m
The ‘Greek Freak’, 28, has just about an excellent break up of on-court and off-court earnings and is the youngest member of this unique membership – in truth he’s the one one nonetheless in his 20s.
The 7ft star has performed for the Milwaukee Bucks since 2013 and is a two-time NBA MVP, and boasts the very best contract in NBA historical past in addition to sponsorship offers with WhatsApp and Google.
9. Tom Brady – American soccer – $A124m
The NFL legend makes most of his cash from off-field exercise as of late, with the NFT platform he co-founded final 12 months, Autograph, elevating $A250m alone.
Brady probably took a share of that as he raked in $A76m exterior of his annual wage of £26m. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers star, 45, has additionally agreed a ten-year deal price $A550m with Fox Sports activities to develop into a commentator as soon as he retires.
8. Canelo Alvarez – Boxing – $A132m
The Mexican, 32, is the highest-paid fighter on this planet. He collected $A58m from his combat in opposition to Bivol in April. Since this listing was up to date, he additionally earned a reported $A99m from his trilogy bout in opposition to Gennady Golovkin and can probably slide additional up the listing.
Alvarez is dwarfed by his counterparts on this listing on the subject of earnings from endorsements and sponsors, although he does have a take care of Hennessy.
7. Roger Federer – Tennis – $A132m
In a whole distinction to Alvarez, Federer made virtually all of his cash from sponsors comparable to Uniqlo, Rolex and Swiss shoe model On.
The tennis famous person, 41, hung up his racket in September after enjoying his ultimate matches on the Laver Cup in London – which had been his solely appearances on court docket for the season.
6. Kevin Durant – Basketball – $A136m
The Brooklyn Nets hero, 34, brings within the majority of his money from business offers and a enterprise empire, with $A40m alone for carrying Nike trainers.
Different sources of incoming embrace Coinbase, Weepmaps, Boardroom, Thirty 5 Ventures, an NFT platform and a digital health start-up.
5. Stephen Curry – Basketball – $A136m
No NBA participant made extra in wage this season than Stephen Curry, and his wage is ready to rise additional after penning a four-year deal price $A314m with the Golden State Warriors.
Away from Golden State, the 34-year-old has an FTX endorsement which incorporates an fairness stake and NFTs in three metaverses – though he pledged to donate the earnings – in addition to a manufacturing firm Unanimous Media.
4. Neymar – Soccer – $A139m
The Brazilian sensation earns $A1.06m-a-week at PSG and pockets the same weekly quantity by means of his offers with Puma and Purple Bull.
Neymar, 30, additionally has a partnership with NFT platform NFTSTAR and was the topic of Netflix docuseries, Neymar: The Good Chaos.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo – Soccer – $A169m
Ronaldo skilled a tumultuous 12 months which first noticed his wages slashed earlier than agreeing to cancel his United contract.
However Ronaldo, 37, did rake in $A81m in off-field funds from Nike, Herbalife and Clear shampoo whereas the Portuguese icon earns cash from the likes of ZujuGP because the most-followed individual on Instagram.
2. LeBron James – Basketball – $A178m
King James, 37, is likely one of the most well-known sports activities stars on this planet and his earnings on and off the basketball court docket replicate that.
He’s one in every of solely two athletes to interrupt the £100m barrier, primarily because of his The Store discuss present, promoting his stake in a manufacturing firm and numerous endorsements together with with Crypto.com.
1. Lionel Messi – Soccer – $A190m
Messi’s crowning achievement of the 12 months shall be profitable the World Cup – however he was additionally paid handsomely and takes the title of highest-earning athlete of 2022.
The Argentine is paid $A2.1m-a-week by PSG and his offers with Adidas, Budweiser, PepsiCo and Laborious Rock Worldwide means the 35-year-old made the identical quantity off the sphere ($A79m) as Ronaldo for the primary time since 2013.
This story first appeared in The Solar and was republished with permission.
