Sports

Messi tops list of world’s highest-paid athletes, Ronaldo in second spot

Published

5 years ago

June 12, 2019

Argentina and Barcelona superstar, Lionel Messi was ranked as the highest paid athlete of 2019, followed by Portugal and Juventus star, Cristiano Ronaldo.

While Messi earned $127m in the past 12 months, according to the Forbes top 100 ranking, Ronaldo earned $109m, with Paris St-Germain’s Brazil forward Neymar in third on $105m.

Forbes calculated the athletes’ earnings by adding up their prize money, salaries and endorsements between June 2018 and June 2019.

Very notable on the list is how last year’s highest earner, boxer Floyd Mayweather, has dropped off the list.

American tennis star, Serena Williams is the only woman in the top 100, earning $29.2m.

Messi is only the second footballer to top the rankings after Ronaldo since the rankings began in 1990.

It is also the first time that footballers have ranked as the top three earners in sports.

The NBA however accounted for the most athletes on the list, with LeBron James in eighth on $89m ahead of Stephen Curry in 9th on $79.8m and Kevin Durant in 10th on $65.4m.

The Top 10

1. Lionel Messi $127m

2. Cristiano Ronaldo $109m

3. Neymar $105m

4. Canelo Alvarez $94m

5. Roger Federer $93.4m

6. Russell Wilson $89.5m

7. Aaron Rodgers $89.3m

8. LeBron James $89m

9. Stephen Curry $79.8m

10, Kevin Durant $65.4m

See full list: World’s Highest-Paid Athletes

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