In addition to winning the World Cup on Sunday, soccer player Lionel Messi is the highest-earning athlete in the world according to Forbes magazine’s latest annual ranking released on Tuesday.
• Read also: Argentina: immense jubilation upon the arrival of the world champions
• Read also: Lionel Messi now has the photo with the most likes on Instagram
For the period from May 1, 2021 to the same date of 2022, the Argentinian received US$130 million, including $55 million in income not directly related to his profession.
A new partnership of $20 million per year with Socios has helped to further enrich its wallet. The Paris Saint-Germain color holder might receive even more money in following Argentina’s victory at the World Cup.
His closest pursuer in the sport’s wealthiest hierarchy in 2022 is Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. The NBA veteran got $121.2 million, including $80 million for activities off the basketball court. The rest of the top 5 are Cristiano Ronaldo (soccer, $115 million), Neymar (soccer, $95 million) and Stephen Curry (basketball, $92.8 million).
Ranks 6 to 10 are occupied in order by Kevin Durant (basketball, $92.1 million), Roger Federer (tennis, $90.7 million), Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (boxing, $90 million), Tom Brady (football, $83.9 million) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (basketball, $80.9 million).
In 2021, Messi finished second with $130 million, behind mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor ($180 million); this one is 35th at $43 million in 2022. This year, the 10 athletes who raised the most money together totaled $992 million, which represents a decrease of 6% compared to last year.
