A few days back, Forbes disclosed their list of the world’s highest-paid athletes of this year. Most of the names in this list are the same as the previous year, but there are some new entries as well. Former UFC Champion Conor McGregor is the newest entry in this list, and surprisingly he tops this list right after making an entry in it. So, below is the entire list of the Top 10 World’s Highest-Paid Athletes Of 2021.
Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor is an Irish MMA fighter and businessman. He is one of the most renowned UFC fighters and is a former UFC lightweight and double heavyweight champion. McGregor tops the list of 2021 highest-paid athletes with a total earning of $180 million. Out of this $180 million, $22 million came from the winnings or salary, whereas the remaining $158 million came from the endorsements. Conor Mcgregor’s earnings from the endorsements are even higher than the total earnings of the second-highest-paid athlete.
Top 10 World’s Highest-Paid Athletes Of 2021: Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is a name that needs no introduction. He is one of the greatest football players of all time who plays internationally for Argentina. Earlier this year, Messi shocked everyone by leaving Barcelona, where he won record 35 trophies. Lionel Messi grabbed the second spot in the list of the Top 10 World’s Highest-Paid Athletes Of 2021 with total earnings of $130 million. Unlike McGregor, most of his earnings came from his salary or winnings. Messi earned $97 million with his winnings, whereas the remaining $33 million came from the endorsements.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The third name in the list of the Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes Of 2021 is of another one of the greatest footballers and Messi’s long-time rival, Cristiano Ronaldo. He is the captain of the national football team of Portugal and plays for Manchester United in the Premier League. Cristiano Ronaldo also holds the record for the highest-ever international goals. Ronaldo earned a total of $120 million this year, out of which he got $70 million from the salary or winnings and the remaining $50 million from the endorsements.
Top 10 World’s Highest-Paid Athletes Of 2021: Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott is an American Football player. He is a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL (National Football League). Before becoming a part of the Dallas Cowboys, he played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. After some of his impressive showings, Dallas Cowboys selected him in the 2016 NFL Draft’s fourth round. Dak Prescott is the fourth highest-paid athlete of the year 2021, with total earnings of $107.5 million. More than 90% of Dak Prescott’s earning came from his winnings and salary, as he made a total of $90.5 million from it. Prescott earned only $10 million from the endorsements, which was more than enough to make him the fourth highest-paid athlete.
Lebron James
Along with Ronaldo and Messi, the name of Lebron James also appear very often in this lits. This American basketball player is the only person who held the same position in the list of 2020 and 2021. Last year he earned $88.2 million to get on the fifth position, whereas this year, he earned a total of $96.5 million. $31.5 million came from the salary, and the remaining $65 million came from the endorsements. It has almost been a decade since Lebron James is appearing on the list of the world’s highest-paid athletes.
Neymar
Neymar is a Brazillian professional football player who plays for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, the same as Messi. Along with Ronaldo and Messi, the name of Neymar is also regarded as one the best players in the world. Neymar earned a total of $95 million to grab the sixth spot in the list of the Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes Of 2021. Neymar made $76 million from his salary, whereas he earned the remaining $19 million from the endorsements.
Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes Of 2021: Roger Federer
Last year, Roger Federer topped the list of the highest-paid athletes. However, this year he slipped to the seventh position. He made a total of $106.3 million in 2020, but this year, he made only $90 million. This year more than 99% of his earnings came from endorsements only. This Swiss tennis player earned only $0.03 million from his salary and $90 million from brand campaigns and endorsements.
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton is the only auto racer in the list of the Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes Of 2021. This British driver competes in Formula One for Mercedes. He has several records on his name, including the most wins (99), pole positions (101), and podium finishes (175), amongst others. Hamilton earned a total of $82 million this year. Out of which, $70 million came from his winnings only. He earned the remaining $12 million from the endorsements to grab the eighth spot on the list.
Tom Brady
Tom Brady is an American football player who plays at the quarterback position for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of NFL. Tom Brady is renowned as one of the greatest quarterbacks and players in the history of the NFL. Brady earned a total of $76 million to get the ninth highest-paid athlete. He earned $45 million from his salary or winnings, where the remaining $31 million came from the brand campaigns and endorsements.
Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes Of 2021: Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant lost the ninth spot on the list to Tom Brady by only one million as this American basketball player earned a total of $75 million this year. He plays for the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA. Kevin Durant is often regarded as one of the best NBA players. Durant earned $31 million from his salary this year and made $44 million from the endorsements to grab the tenth spot on the list of the Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes Of 2021.