Image Source: NBC
According to Forbes, despite a dismal season on the pitch, Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain was the highest-paid athlete in the world during the last 12 months.
On-field and off-field endeavors are said to bring in $130 million in pre-tax gross earnings per year, putting him ahead of LeBron James and rival Cristiano Ronaldo on the rich list.
Messi, who reportedly earns $75 million a year from soccer, also earns $55 million from endorsements and sponsorship deals.
Forbes’ Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2022
- Lionel Messi: $130 million
- LeBron James: $121.2 million
- Cristiano Ronaldo: $115 million
- Neymar: $95 million
- Stephen Curry: $92.8 million
- Kevin Durant: $92.1 million
- Roger Federer: $90.7 million
- Canelo Alvarez: $90 million
- Tom Brady: $83.9 million
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: $80.9 million
It’s the second time the Argentine sits atop Forbes’ list, the last time coming in 2019.
Over the last year, the top ten highest earners, all of whom are men, earned a total of $992 million in pre-tax gross earnings.
Messi has been chastised for some of his off-field endorsements, including boosting Saudi Arabia tourism recently. He was photographed in Saudi Arabia and shared a photo with the hashtag #VisitSaudi on his personal Instagram account.
Sportswashing has long been accused of hiding the country’s terrible human rights record.
“Qatar, the dubious crypto business Socios, and Saudi Arabia are all new revenue sources for Messi. Man must eat, “Tariq Panja of the New York Times tweeted this.
NBA superstar LeBron James comes in second on the list, with a yearly salary of $121.2 million. The Los Angeles Lakers forward may have missed the playoffs this season, but he’s been a force off the court, with a talk show and a role in last year’s Space Jam: A New Legacy. James is now worth an estimated $850 million, according to Forbes.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who earned $115 million after joining Manchester United from Juventus, rounds out the top three.
Off the field, the Portuguese superstar earns the same amount as Messi, with the majority of his earnings coming from his unequaled social media presence. Ronaldo has 690 million Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter followers, allowing him to command larger sponsorship prices from a variety of firms. The figures are based on prize money, salary, and bonuses, as well as estimates of sponsorship deals and other off-field revenue streams, according to Forbes.
Opinions expressed by California Gazette contributors are their own.
