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 rankings released on Tuesday.
• Also read: Argentina: Huge cheering at the arrival of the world champion
• Also read: Lionel Messi now has the most liked photo on Instagram
For the period from May 1, 2021 to the same date in 2022, the Argentine received $130 million, including $55 million in earnings not directly related to his profession.
A new $20 million-a-year partnership with Socios has helped further enrich his wallet. The Paris Saint-Germain color bearer could get even more advertising money after Argentina’s World Cup win.
His closest rival in the sport’s wealthiest hierarchy in 2022 is Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. The NBA veteran earned $121.2 million, including $80 million for off-court activities. The remaining top five are Cristiano Ronaldo (football, $115 million), Neymar (football, $95 million) and Stephen Curry (basketball, $92.8 million).
Positions 6 through 10 are taken by Kevin Durant (basketball, $92.1 million), Roger Federer (tennis, $90.7 million), Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (boxing, $90 million), Tom Brady (soccer , $83.9 million) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (basketball, $80.9 million).
In 2021, Messi finished second with $130 million, behind mixed martial artist Conor McGregor ($180 million); This one ranks 35th with $43 million in 2022. This year, the 10 athletes who collectively raised the most money raised a total of $992 million, down 6% from the previous year.