Manchester United star and Real Madrid pair make list of top 20 highest earning athletes in the world…
Athletes in the world’s most popular sports earn astronomical amounts. Not just with the salaries they are paid, but with the massive sponsorships and endorsements they bring in each year.
The biggest teams naturally want the biggest stars, and to attract them they have to offer the biggest wages. But how much do these top athletes actually earn each year?
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Here are the top 20 highest earning athletes in the world according to Forbes:
20) Kevin Durant – $31.9m
NBA
Oklahoma City Thunder
Salary/Winnings: $17.9m
Endorsements: $14m
A seven year deal with Nike worth nearly $100m provides Durant with a healthy income from endorsements. While his $85m contract with the Thunder has two years left to run.
19) Lewis Hamilton – $32m
Formula 1
Mercedes
Salary/Winnings: $29m
Endorsements: $3m
Named 2014’s most marketable athlete in the world by UK’s SportsPro magazine, Hamilton and Mercedes have been dominating the track this year.
18) Matthew Stafford – $33m
NFL
Detroit Lions
Salary/Winnings: $31.5
Endorsements: $1.5m
Stafford signed a three year contract extension in 2013 worth around $53m, including a massive $27.5m signing bonus.
17) Novak Djokovic – $33.1m
Tennis
N/A
Salary/Winnings: $12.1
Endorsements: $21m
The Serbian is the current world No.1, appearing in nine Grand Slam finals and earning over $38m in prize money between 2011 and 2013.
He is also a philanthropist, donating some of his recent winnings to flooding relief in Serbia.
16) Neymar – $33.6m
Football
FC Barcelona
Salary/Winnings: $17.6m
Endorsements: $16m
The face of Brazilian football at the moment, Neymar’s move to Barcelona not only saw him signing a massive contract, but also saw his marketability shoot up drastically.
Recently released his own cologne, Drakkar Noir by Neymar.
15) Radamel Falcao $35.4m
Football
Manchester United
Salary/Winnings: $32.4m
Endorsements: $3m
On loan at Manchester United from Monaco, the Colombian is on an absolutely massive salary with the Red Devils.
His salary has been more than doubled since his move from Atletico Madrid, a move he certainly won’t be regretting; especially if his move to the Premier League is made permanent.
14) Gareth Bale – $36.4m
Football
Real Madrid
Salary/Winnings: $25.4m
Endorsements: $11m
Having signed for Real Madrid from Tottenham in 2013, the Welshman is earning nearly half a million dollars per week in the Spanish capital.
Seemingly being moulded as the next Cristiano Ronaldo, Bale looks to be settling in well in La Liga.
13) Derrick Rose – $36.6m
NBA
Chicago Bulls
Salary/Winnings: $17.6m
Endorsements: $19m
Rose signed a five year deal with the Bulls worth $95m in 2011. His earnings have then been supplemented by his massive $185m deal with Adidas, the sports brand selling $40m of his signature shoes last year in the U.S. alone.
12) Zlatan Ibrahimovic – $40.4m
Football
PSG
Salary/Winnings: $36.4m
Endorsements: $4m
Having signed a massive three year extension in 2013 tying him to PSG until 2016, the Swedish striker is up there with the Cristiano Ronaldo’s and the Lionel Messi’s in terms of salaries.
He is still competing at the top level despite being 33-years-old, and he doesn’t look like stopping soon.
11) Manny Pacquiao – $41.8m
Boxing
N/A
Salary/Winnings: $41m
Endorsements: $800,000
Despite his last few fights being relative disappointments, the Filipino boxer still earned nearly $42m. As one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, Pacquiao will be looking to go on a winning streak after his shock loss in 2012.
10) Matt Ryan – $43.8m
NFL
Atlanta Falcons
Salary/Winnings: $42m
Endorsements: $1.8m
The highest earning NFL player in the world, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback recently signed a five year contract worth over $100m.
This included a $28m signing bonus and a $12m option paid in March.
9) Rafael Nadal – $44.5m
Tennis
N/A
Salary/Winnings: $14.5m
Endorsements: $30m
In and out of both tennis and form recently due to injuries, Nadal is the current No.2 in the world behind Novak Djokovic.
He has to maintain his form if he hopes to keep his hefty sponsorship earnings, as his deal with Nike is tied to his final rank at the end of the year.
8) Phil Mickelson – $53.2m
Golf
N/A
Salary/Winnings: $5.2m
Endorsements: $48m
Phil Mickelson has jumped up the list since his British Open win last year, earning nearly $50m in sponsorships since then.
His career winnings are a massive $74m which is the second highest of all time.
7) Roger Federer – $56.2m
Tennis
N/A
Salary/Winnings: $4.2m
Endorsements: $52m
Federer may not be No. 1 any more, but he is still a hugely marketable athlete. He is known for his partnerships with Rolex, Nike, Gillette, and Credit Suisse, which bring him in over $50m a year.
6) Tiger Woods – $61.2m
Golf
N/A
Salary/Winnings: $6.2m
Endorsements: $55m
His winnings last year were fairly minimal compared to a number of other athletes on this list, but his endorsements make sure Woods stays just outside the top five.
He took a large hit when Electronic Arts announced in 2013 that they would be dropping Woods and their game series Tiger Woods PGA Tour, but a renewed deal with Nike has negated that somewhat.
5) Kobe Bryant – $61.5m
NBA
LA Lakers
Salary/Winnings: $30.5m
Endorsements: $31m
Far and away the highest paid player in the NBA, earning nearly $8m more than any other player in the sport.
His endorsements with Nike, Turkish Air, Lenovo and a number of other big brand names ensure that his sponsorship earnings stay on par with his salary.
4) Lionel Messi – $64.7m
Football
FC Barcelona
Salary/Winnings: $41.7m
Endorsements: $23m
The Argentine launched his signature shoe with Adidas last year, and has featured in Turkish Air adverts with Kobe Bryant which has proved very popular.
He signed a new contract with Barcelona in May which made him one of the highest paid footballers in the world, and will keep him at Camp Nou until 2018.
3) LeBron James – $72.3m
NBA
Cleveland Cavaliers
Salary/Winnings: $19.3m
Endorsements: $53m
LeBron James earns more in endorsements than most other athletes in the world, despite not even nearly being the top paid player in the NBA.
Deals with Nike, McDonald’s, and Coca-Cola have proved highly successful for the Ohio born star, as well as making a small fortune for his stake in Beats when it was recently sold to Apple for $3 billion.
2) Cristiano Ronaldo – $80m
Football
Real Madrid
Salary/Winnings: $52m
Endorsements: $28m
Globally known, easily marketable, and an unbelievable talent to boot. Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the highest paid footballer on earth, and was voted the most valuable player in the world in 2013.
1) Floyd Mayweather – $105m
Boxing
N/A
Salary/Winnings: $105m
Endorsements: $0.00
Mayweather’s fight with Canelo Alvarez in September 2013 set records for highest pay-per-view gross ($150m), as well as live gate receipts and total revenue. Canelo was the second fight in a six fight deal spread over 30 months, so Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather could be at the top for quite a while.
The first athlete since Tiger Woods to earn over $100m according to Forbes, Mayweather is way out in front at the moment.