Highest Paid Athletes in The World - 2023

A person begins the journey of becoming an athlete out of a great sense of passion. It takes massive hard work, persistence, and patience to become one.

After that, continuous practice, winnings, and popularity allow an athlete to become established, and an established athlete is one of the most rewarding professionals in the world.

Many sportspersons started their journey from scratch and are now ruling the world. Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, comes from a very humble background, but with time, he has emerged as one of the most famous and highest-paid footballers in the world.

Cristiano Ronaldo Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and more are some of the names who have made great progress in their fields and are among the highest-paid athletes in the world.

How Do Popular Athletes Earn Money?
List of Richest Athletes in The World Today

1. Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
2. Lionel Andres Messi
3. Kylian Mbappé
4. LeBron Raymone James
5. Canelo Álvarez
6. Dustin Johnson
7. Phil Mickelson
8. Stephen Curry
9. Roger Federer
10. Kevin Durant

How Do Popular Athletes Earn Money?

We all have admired the expensive lifestyle of our favorite athletes. They not only get paid for playing or winning a sport, but there are certainly other ways they earn from.

Here are some of the ways that contribute to their earnings:

Sponsorships

It is a kind of marketing strategy that many big companies use. In this, a corporation pays to be linked with certain events or people.

So, players or their entire teams must put a brand logo on their costumes. In return for this, they get paid.

Endorsement or Advertisement

In this, players get approached by the companies for their promotions. The companies can pay them for a single deal and sometimes also offer them to be brand ambassadors.

This kind of partnership can sometimes offer million-dollar deals that allow the players to make a huge fortune.

Support from the Country’s Administration

Athletes are an important part of a country. So, for every accomplishment like medals or others, they earn certain monetary rewards from the government.

Social Media

Nowadays, a strong and huge following on social media is a great way of earning. Athletes have a great fan following around the world. So, their presence on social media is now another way that contributes to their income sources.

List of Richest Athletes in The World Today

The world has many sportspersons and their athletic teams. Everyone’s pay scales differ from one another. Many get paid such handsome amounts that they are no less than a celebrity or an entrepreneur.

Here are the top-most paid athletes in the world:

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro

Christiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid athlete in the world. He is an experienced player of soccer who hails from Portugal.

He is the captain of Portugal’s National Football team. Also, he plays a forward for Saudi Arabian Club Al Nassr. The contract between Ronaldo and Al-Nassr was made public at the end of December 2022. The contract is worth 215 million dollars each year for two seasons. Ronaldo signed a contract with the Saudi club until 2025 after leaving Manchester United last year.

The Portugal player is famous for his hat tricks, goal-scoring, awards, breaking records, and huge fan following. Cristiano Ronaldo has current earnings of 136 million dollars USD. This makes him the richest on the list.

Lionel Andres Messi

He is a soccer player from Argentina, born in the year 1987. He is the captain of Argentina’s National Football team.

He also plays forward for the American professional soccer club Inter Miami CF. Messi is said to be the most exclusive in his field and is famous for his great record-breaking goals. He has won a total of eight Ballon d'Ors, making him the most successful footballer in the history of football.

Currently, Lionel Messi has an earning of 130 million dollars USD. He is the second richest athlete in the world.

Kylian Mbappé

Mbappé is a French soccer player who was born in 1998 in Paris. He plays forward for France National Football team.

He also plays forward for Paris Saint-Germain F.C. which is a professional football club based in Paris. Mbappé is one of the best players in the world, and he is known for his speed, dribbling, and finishing ability. He has won numerous awards, including the Ligue 1 title, the FIFA World Cup, and the UEFA Nations League.

Kylian Mbappé earns 120 million dollars USD which makes him the third richest sportsman in the world.

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LeBron Raymone James

He is a popular sportsman who plays basketball professionally. He was born in 1984 Ohio, USA. He is a player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.

The man is famous by the name ‘King James’ because of his all-around capabilities to play a game. He has gained a massive fan following and respect for being extraordinary in his sport.

This basketballer is no less than a celebrity. He has been able to score a position for himself in the list just after Dak. At present, he has an earning of 119.5 million dollars USD.

Canelo Álvarez

Álvarez was born on July 18, 1990, in Guadalajara, Mexico. He is a Mexican professional boxer who has won multiple world championships in four weight classes, from light middleweight to light heavyweight. He is currently the undisputed super middleweight champion, holding the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and Ring magazine titles.

Álvarez is known for his excellent counterpunching, being able to exploit openings in his opponents' guards while avoiding punches with head and body movement. He is also known as a formidable body puncher.

His current earning stands at 110 million dollars USD.

Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson, born in 1984, is a professional golfer from the United States. He has two major titles to his credit: the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club and the 2020 Masters Tournament. He turned professional in 2007 and quickly established himself as one of the best players in the world.

Johnson is known for his prodigious length off the tee and his smooth, powerful swing. He has been ranked in the top 10 in driving distance on the PGA Tour for most of his career. He is also one of the richest athletes in the world, with 107 million dollars USD of earnings.

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson, born in 1970, is a professional golfer from the United States who has won six major championships. He is widely regarded as one of the most popular and successful golfers of all time. He has won over 45 PGA Tour events and is one of the highest-paid golfers in history. He has also won two World Golf Championships.

Mickelson is a role model for many young golfers. He is known for his work ethic and his dedication to the game. He is also a generous philanthropist and has supported many charities throughout his career.

He is also well-known for his demeanor and sense of wit. He is well-liked by both fans and other golfers. His earnings total 106 million US dollars.

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Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry, born in 1988, is an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Golden State Warriors. He was born in the city of Akron, Ohio. He is widely considered as the greatest shooter in NBA history and is one of the league's most popular players.

Curry was selected seventh overall by the Warriors in the 2009 NBA draft. He rapidly established himself as one of the league's finest players, leading the Warriors to three NBA titles (2015, 2017, 2018) and two NBA MVP honors (2015, 2016). Curry has also been named a seven-time NBA All-Star and an eight-time NBA All-NBA Team member.

Currently, Stephen Curry has an earning of 100.4 million dollars USD.

Roger Federer

Roger Federer, born in 1981 in Basel, Switzerland, is a former professional tennis player from Switzerland. He is primarily regarded as one of the all-time great tennis players. Federer won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, the second-most of all time, including a Wimbledon record eight men's singles titles.

Federer was the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world No. 1 in singles for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks, and was the year-end No. 1 five times. On the ATP Tour, he won 103 singles titles, the second most of all time.

Federer became famous for his all-court skill, court grace, and sportsmanship. He currently earns 95.1 million dollars USD.

Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant, born in 1988 in Washington, D.C., USA, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Durant is largely recognized as one of the best NBA scorers of all time. He has four NBA scoring titles and has been named to the All-NBA First Team seven times. He has also been named NBA Finals MVP twice and NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) once. Durant is also an entrepreneur and humanitarian. He owns his own distinctive shoe and clothing business, and he has given millions of dollars to numerous causes.

He is also a role model for young athletes, and his story has inspired many people. He currently earns 89.1 million dollars USD.

Conclusion

Professional players all around seem to be ruling the world. They are not only sports players but also the pride of a country.They are responsible for representing one’s country to the entire world. The above listed players are the top athletes in the world. Becoming an athlete is not a cakewalk. It takes years of practice, persistence, winnings, and more to be well-established in one’s field.

The above-mentioned are some of the most popular players around the world. They have been playing their sport religiously for so many years. It is their passion and consistency towards it that has made them what they are today. These athletes are the highest-paid in the world followed by Roger Federer, Lewis Hamilton, Tom Brady, and Kevin Durant.

FAQs

Who are the richest athletes in the world?

The richest athletes in the world are:

• Cristiano Ronaldo
• Lionel Andres Messi
• Kylian Mbappe
• LeBron Raymone James
• Canelo Alvarez

Who is the highest-paid athlete in the world?

Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-earning athlete in the world with 136 million dollars USD.

Which is the highest-paying sport in the world?

Based on the average salary, the highest-paying sports in the world are:

• Basketball
• National Football League (NFL)
• English Premier League
• Major League Baseball (MLB)
• Ice Hockey (NHL)