The Argentine star Lionel Messiof the Paris Saint-Germaintopped the list of the world’s highest-paid athletes for the second time with estimated earnings of 130 million dollars in the last yearaccording to the magazine Forbes.
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The 34-year-old footballer relieves the Irishman at the top of the list Conor McGregor, mixed martial arts figure who topped the ranking a year ago with $180 million.
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In its latest estimate, released Thursday, Forbes locates Messi in the first place of the ten highest paid athletes of the last 12 months, all of them men, with the Mexican Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez in the first place of the boxers.
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The magazine estimates that earnings from Messiwhich already led the ranking in 2019, reached 130 million dollars before taxes.
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Messi He reached this figure despite the fact that his salary was reduced to 75 million dollars at PSG, some 22 million less than his previous contract with FC Barcelona.
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However, the increase in his income from sponsorships to 55 million allowed him to equal the annual earnings record for a footballer, which he himself Messi he did last year when he was second on the list to McGregor.
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The second position of the current Forbes ranking is occupied by LeBron James, the superstar of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, with 121.2 million dollars, and the third position is the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United forward, with 115 million.
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Despite his disappointing campaign with the Lakers, ‘King James’ broke the previous earnings record for an NBA player that he himself had set last year with 96.5 million.
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His income off the court (80 million) practically doubled his salary with the Lakers (41.2).
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The Top-5 of the list is completed by the Brazilian Neymar (PSG)con $95 millionand American basketball player Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) with 92.8 million.
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Sixth appears the American Kevin Durant (92.1 million dollars), star of the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA, and behind the veteran Swiss tennis player Roger Federer with 90.7 million, of which only 0.7 million come from his results. on the field, depleted in recent years by numerous injuries.
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The Mexican boxer ‘Canelo’ Álvarez is in eighth place with 90 million dollars, of which 85 million were earned for his victories in the ring.
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The ranking is completed by Tom Brady ($83.9 million)leader of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and NFL star, and Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo (80.9), NBA champion last year with the Milwaukee Bucks.
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Collectively, these 10 athletes pocketed $992 million in the last 12 months, the third-highest since Forbes estimates began, after $1.06 billion in 2018 and $1.05 billion in 2021.
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Volume in 2021 was boosted by McGregor’s sale of the Proper No. Twelve whiskey brand, which brought him an estimated $150 million.
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The Irishman dropped out of the Top-10 this year but will appear in the full ranking of 50 athletes that Forbes will publish at the end of the month. AFP
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