The 100 highest-paid athletes in the world revealed

Cristiano Ronaldo, Conor McGregor, Lionel Messi, LeBron James, Tom Brady, and more all feature in this top 100 highest-paid athletes list.

Conor McGregor is the world’s highest-paid athlete. The Irish mixed martial artist earns a reported $202 million from his winnings and endorsement deals. Football legends Lionel Messi ($126m) and Cristiano Ronaldo ($120m) round off the top three.

Despite the global financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, athletes across the world continue to bank some eye-watering figures.

Sports business website Sportico has now estimated exactly how much the world’s top sportsmen have earned in the past year by calculating their incomes from salaries, winnings, and endorsements.

1 to 20

As previously mentioned, McGregor is the highest-paid athlete in the world. In fact, the UFC fighter reportedly earns $82 million more than Barcelona football star Messi.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, earns $6m less than his long-time rival. That could change soon, though. Given the pandemic, along with Barcelona’s debts, Messi would have to take a pay cut to continue at Camp Nou if he chooses to stay this summer.

Four-time NBA winner LeBron James, seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, and four-time PGA Championship winner Tiger Woods are also among the world’s highest earners.

21 to 40

Gareth Bale, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, and Andres Iniesta are the only football players to make the cut between the 21st and 40th highest-paid athletes.

Iniesta has recently signed a new two-year contract with Japanese club Vissel Kobe. The former Barcelona captain, therefore, will prolong his career until his 39th birthday in 2023.

Phil Mickelson heads this list after becoming the oldest PGA Championship winner in golf at the age of 50 in May.

41 to 60

Football stars Mohamed Salah, Paul Pogba, Eden Hazard, and Robert Lewandowski all made the cut with over $30 million in this list.

Women’s tennis legend Serena Williams, meanwhile, banked a whopping figure of $35.5M for 44th-place.

61 to 80

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne ($28.5M) and Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea ($28.4M) are the only two footballers placed between 61st and 80th-place in this list.

81 to 100

Despite spending most of 2020 off the court, Rafa Nadal bagged a sweet $26.5 million. The tennis legend’s earnings mostly came from endorsement deals from sports manufacturers such as Nike.

Raheem Sterling, Angel Di Maria, and Philippe Coutinho are the three football stars who made the cut between 81st and 100th-place.

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