Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi outclass ‘ultra-rich’ NBA and NFL stars to sweep the highest-paid athletes list
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi find their place in the top 3 of the highest paid athletes in the world!
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Cristiano Ronaldo beat LeBron James and Lionel Messi to top the charts for highest paid athlete in the world (Via X/@cristiano, Footbal__Tweet & The Sun )
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo may well be past peaks in terms of footballing ability. Aged 36 and 39 respectively, the two legends play for Inter Miami and Al-Nassr respectively. That being said, playing well out of the top 5 leagues didn’t stop either Messi or Ronaldo from topping the list of the highest-paid athletes in the world. They certainly have every right to be up there, that too, over the likes of LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list with his unbelievable Al-Nassr contract, which sees him earn $275 million including endorsements and salary. A ‘close’ second is Spanish professional golfer Jon Rahm, who earns about $203 million. He is the only golfer in the top 10 of the list. Lionel Messi grabs third spot. The Inter Miami star pockets $130 million playing for the David Beckham-owned club and is the face of the club in MLS.
What surprised many fans was the fact that Messi and Ronaldo managed to eclipse NBA stars LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The basketball legends are placed at the 4th, 7th, and 8th spots respectively.
LeBron earns the most in the NBA, with his income listed at $125.7 million, just short of Lionel Messi’s third spot. Footballers Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr. also make the top 10.
From the NFL to the Premier League – a look at some of the ‘richest’ leagues in the World
It is no surprise that sport generates a ton of revenue, be it the NFL, the NBA, or even the English Premier League. Starting off the list is none other than the National Football League or the NFL, as it is widely known. Despite a significant chunk of its audience being from the United States and Canada, the league generates a revenue of $18.6 billion making it the richest sports league on the planet.
The NBA comes second, generating over $10 billion in 2023. A close third on the list is Major League Baseball, which also generates $10 billion in total. The Indian Premier League (cricket) earns fourth spot, with an annual revenue of $8.4 billion. As for football leagues, the English Premier League comes in fifth, with a total of $6.6 billion in revenue for the year 2023.
La Liga in Spain, the UEFA Champions League, the Bundesliga, and the Russian Premier League all make it to the top ten. The MLS, with an annual revenue of $116 million, is ranked 12th. The Belgian Pro League, with a $408 million income is at 11th spot. Even though football leagues form the majority in terms of numbers in the top ten, the NFL grabs the most numbers, be it revenue or viewership.
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Sherwin Shaju
(1306 Articles Published)