LIONEL MESSI, the highest-paid sports celebrity in the world, is now as rich as Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch.
After his shock Barcelona exit, the legendary Argentine had to endure a difficult first season at Paris Saint-Germain.
He has not stopped making money from his sponsors and his new club.
After his 2019 success, he is back at the Forbes top 10 for 2022.
Conor McGregor was last year's top dog. However, he doesn't even make it to the top ten. The majority of his PS148million earnings came from the sale of his Proper No. Twelve whiskey brands.
F1 pair Max Verstappen & Lewis Hamilton, Naomi Osaka and Tyson Fury are among the notable absentees.
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Who are the top-earning athletes in the world right now?
10. Giannis Antetokounmpo Basketball - PS66m
The 27-year-old 'Greek Freak’ is the youngest member of this elite club. He has a fairly even split of off-court and on-court earnings.
Two-time MVP of the Milwaukee Bucks has the largest contract in NBA history. He also has many sponsors, including WhatsApp and Google. There is also a NFT platform and a biopic for Disney+.
9. Tom Brady - NFL PS69m
Brady's brief retirement means that the legendary quarterback will return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pitch later in the year.
The 44-year old does not need the extra cash. PS43m of his money comes from various ventures such as NFTs and production companies. He also has a PS307m contract to be a Fox Sports commentator after he retires.
8. Canelo Alvarez - Boxing - PS74m
Although he may have lost his second fight in his career to Dmitry Bivol, a quick glance at his bank account will show that he is the top-paid Mexican boxer in the world, and he has been fighting for his third.
Thanks to two PPV fights that earned at least PS33m each, a staggering 95 percent of his earnings were generated inside the ring. The Bivol fight is not on the current list. Hennessy and his taco restaurant deal added another dimension.
7. Roger Federer - Tennis - PS74m
Federer, a 40 year-old man who has won nine tennis matches in the past two years - none since last Summer - is doing well for himself.
The Swiss maestro is the No1 brand ambassador for world sport, with PS73.5m of his total PS74m coming to sponsors like Uniqlo and Rolex.
6. Kevin Durant - Basketball PS76m
33-year-old Brooklyn Nets star is a commercial deal and business entrepreneur. He has PS23m to wear Nike trainers.
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There are also other sources of incoming such as Coinbase, Weepmaps and Boardroom. Thirty Five Ventures is an NFT platform. A digital fitness startup is also available.
5. Steph Curry - Basketball PS76m
Curry was the NBA's highest-earning player this season, with a PS38m total. This is after Curry signed a new contract that will see him earn almost PS50m between 2025 and 26.
The 34-year old is currently away from Golden State and has an FTX endorsement that includes an equity stake, NFTs in three metaverses, as well as a production company Unanimous Media.
4. Neymar – Football - PS78m
Neymar (30) is paid around PS600,000.00 a week by PSG as his basic wage. He has only scored 12 goals in all competitions and one Ligue 1 winner medal.
Forbes says he earns an average of PS500,000 per week from bonuses and signing-on fees, plus PS20m in endorsements like Red Bull, Netflix, Puma and Red Bull. He also recently launched an electric car in Germany with Alica Schmidt.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo - Football - PS94m
It's time for the big guns and it's no surprise that Ronaldo is among them, with his massive Manchester United wages and other bonuses.
The PS94m of the 37-year old was just shy of half. This includes huge bucks from Nike, Herbalife, Clear shampoo and Herbalife. Meanwhile, the Portuguese icon makes it big from ZujuGP as the most followed person on Instagram.
2. LeBron James – Basketball - PS99m
James's basketball achievements speak for themselves, with the LA Lakers great continuing being paid high wages in the NBA.
Two-thirds of his 2022 income comes from other sources, including Space Jam, his The Shop talkshow, and various endorsements, including with Crypto.com. Together they made James, 37 years old, the tenth person to reach the 12-month $100m milestone.
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1. Lionel Messi - Football - PS107m
Messi, 34 years old, is at the top of the heap. He is a PSG player after bonus fees have been added to his massive wages. However, that PS61m figure is apparently PS18m less than his annual wage in Barcelona's last year.
Socios signed a PS16m deal, and Ronaldo was on the payroll of Hard Rock International, Budweiser, PepsiCo, PepsiCo, and adidas.
