Top 10 highest-paid athletes in 2022 has Ronaldo only third and Federer seventh
Not only did Lionel Messi win the World Cup this year, completing his trophy cabinet, he also topped the list of highest paid athletes of the year – ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Both have had memorable years – for very different reasons – after Messi led his country to glory at the World Cup and winning the Golden Ball in the process. Ronaldo, on the other hand, was relegated to a bit-part role at Manchester United before ripping up his contract and becoming a free agent.
Despite having a shoddy year, the Portuguese superstar has still ranked high on the best-paid list and finds himself third, according to Forbes. He trumps the likes of Neymar and Roger Federer but lags behind LeBron James and Messi.
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While Messi can call it a very successful year, there were some pretty big omissions from the best-paid athletes list. Conor McGregor was the reigning champion last year, topping the table.
However, the Irishman has fallen off the top 10 completely after a year away from the octagon following his nasty leg break against Dustin Poirier. Instead, McGregor has been making his money through his business and whiskey company Proper Twelve.
Lewis Hamilton is another glaring absentee despite being the second-highest-earning driver of all time. The British Formula One star is worth a reported £236.16m – but made around £42m this year.
Who would you have guessed as the top three? Does the list surprise you? Let us know in the comments section.
Meanwhile, Federer held onto a spot in the top 10 despite hardly playing tennis due to an injury in 2021. He retired from the sport in July but still made enough to claim seventh in the list.
Whether Messi can hold onto the top spot for another year remains to be seen as his contract at Paris Saint-Germain comes to an end this summer. There have been reports that he could stay on longer while a return to Barcelona or a move to the MLS has not been ruled out.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, could see his earnings skyrocket should he accept a contract from Saudi side Al Nassr. A whopping £175m offer is on the table that could see him fly up the best-paid list.
FULL LIST FOR 2022
10. Giannis Antetokounmpo – NBA – Milwaukee Bucks – £67.12 million
9. Tom Brady – NFL – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – £69.61 million
8. Canelo Alvarez – boxing – Mexico – £74.67 million
7. Roger Federer – tennis – Switzerland – £75.25 million
6. Kevin Durant – NBA – Brooklyn Nets – £76.41 million
5. Steph Curry – NBA – Golden State Warriors – £76.99 million
4. Neymar – football – PSG/Brazil – £78.81 million
3. Cristiano Ronaldo – football – unattached/Portugal – £95.41 million
2. LeBron James – NBA – LA Lakers – £100.55 million
1. Lionel Messi – football – PSG/Argentina – $107.9 million
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