Highest Paid Athletes of 2019

The world's highest paid sports star are making more money than ever before. Increased salaries and endorsements have seen players who averaged only $10 million per year earn $20 million or more. The top paid 5 athletes earned over half a billion dollars in total, proving just how lucrative sports has become.

1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Boxing)

Mayweather has topped this list for the fourth time in seven years. In 2019, the 41-year-old ranks as the world's best-paid athlete for a job he completed more than one year ago. His August 2017 fight against Conor McGregor netted him $275 million in one night, making him the highest paid athlete for the 2017/18 Forbes' year.

The American also earned $10 million in endorsements, taking his total earnings to $285 million. With him not having any significant bouts this year, it is unlikely Mayweather will remain at the top spot by the end of this year.

2. Lionel Messi (Soccer)

Argentina’s soccer ace Lionel Messi signed a four-year contract extension with Barcelona in November 2017, making him the highest paid soccer star alive. With the new contract, Messi earns $667,000 a week, translating to $84 million a year when bonuses are included.

Messi's endorsements throughout last year topped $27 million, thanks to huge money deals with Huawei, Pepsi, Gatorade, and Ooredoo Qatar. Unlike Mayweather, Messi will likely rank among the top paid five players in the world for a while. His contract with Barcelona isn't over until 2020 when he is projected to have earned $875 million by then.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo

When Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus last summer, he took a $2 million pay cut to down his salary current to $64 million a year. The deal made him the third highest paid soccer player in the world, only behind Neymar’s $73 million and Messi’s $84 million deal.

When it comes to endorsements, however, no soccer players earn higher than Ronaldo who currently have deals worth $47 million. In total, the 34-year-old earned $108 million in total—a salary range he is likely to earn for the next few years.

4. Conor McGregor (MMA)

Despite earning $3 million only for his fight against Russia’s Khabib Nurmagomedov, McGregor is the fourth highest paid athlete in 2019. His biggest payday came more than a year ago when he lost to Mayweather but kept an $85 million paycheck.

The Irish MMA fighter also totaled $14 million worth of endorsements with Burger King, Monster Energy, and Beats by Dre.

5. Neymar

Neymar was promised in excess of $54 million per year after he joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017. His salary has since then improved to reach $71 million. When endorsements are included, the 26-year-old Brazilian is able to earn $19 million more—a total of $90 million.

Unlike other players in the list, Neymar is able to earn extra cash by following PSG’s “behavior clause.” This includes applauding fans after games, respecting journalists and avoiding drama off the field.

6. Lebron James (Basketball)

James became the highest paid NBA player last year after signing a $154 million deal to join the Los Angeles Lakers last year. Lebron’s total earnings last totaled $85.5 million. His salary contributed $33.5 million while endorsements equaled $52 million.

Lebron’s endorsements contributed 65% of his total earnings in 2019. He will likely earn the same amounts in 2019, earning him a spot among the 10 most paid athletes once more. James’ high earnings also show just how valuable basketball players have become in the US.

This year, out of Forbes’ top 100 paid athletes, 40 athletes are basketball players. A few baseball and footballers are included but NBA players have been banking hard. So, what are football's best, coach Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady up to? Does anybody really want them to continue ruling football anymore?

7. Roger Federer

Tennis' great Roger Federer may be approaching the end of his career but he is still the most valuable athlete in his sport. His endorsers commit him to contracts that run ten years or more, most of which also dwarf his earnings on the court.

His deal with Barilla in 2017, a past brand was worth $40 million. By contrast, the 37-year-old earned $12 million alone in salaries. Federer also has deals with Rolex, Mercedes, NetJets, Credit Suisse, Sunrise and Moet & Chandon. With so many, high-value endorsement deals—Roger will likely continue to dominate top earnings lists even if he doesn't win any Grand Slams this year.

8. Steph Curry

Golden State Warriors’ star point guard earns an average of $34.9 million every year. When his endorsements are included, Curry totals $76.9 million, the eight highest paid athlete in the world. Surprisingly, Curry wasn’t anywhere nearly a top NBA earned until last year when he signed a $201 contract extension deal with the Warriors.

9. Matt Ryan

The Falcons’ future is centered on Matt Ryan, the quarterback they locked to a $30 million a year last May. His overall contract runs through 2023 for $150M, with $100 million guaranteed. The contract also came with a $46.5 million signing bonus.

Outside of the pitch, Ryan isn’t short of endorsements. His deals with Nike; Delta Airlines, Mercedes Benz, and banana republic earned him a total of $5 million last year.

10. Matthew Stafford

Detroit Lions’ quarterback Matthew Stafford is the second NFL player on this list. The 31-year-old earned $57.5 million in salaries and bonuses last. He earned $2 million more in endorsements with Ford Motors, Pepsi and Nike.

Stafford has been a footballer since 2004 and has the second highest career earnings in the NFL. Eli Manning tops the list with $205 million while the Lions’ QB has earned over $202 million. Brady is third-placed with $196 million while Drew Brees and Philip Rivers are ranked fourth and fifth.

To Conclude

The average athlete in the top sports leagues around the world is a millionaire. The very best among them earn so much money that they don't have to work ever again after retirement. Surprisingly, athletes don't always take months to earn more than their peers. Some, like Mayweather, earn a year's worth of pay in a single fight.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.