Inside the playground, Lionel Messi faced one of the toughest seasons of his career. He struggled to adapt to French football after leaving Barcelona and battled injuries, leaving many fans unsure about his fit in Paris. Yet the truth that often goes overlooked is the sheer financial triumph behind the scenes. Despite scoring only nine goals this season, the current Ballon d’Or holder remains at the pinnacle of sports earnings for 2022, ranking among Forbes’ top ten highest paid athletes. A figure of 124 million euros in gross revenue was attributed to him for the past year, underscoring the difference between on-field struggles and off-field value.
Messi’s move to Ligue 1 came with a pay cut designed to facilitate the transfer, a concession noted by several major outlets. The shift away from Barcelona cost him an estimated 21 million euros in the previous year, but the change also unlocked new commercial opportunities and sponsorships. His earnings from PSG, alongside lucrative advertising deals, helped keep his total compensation on par with last year’s, a balance that demonstrates how big-name athletes leverage global exposure to maintain massive incomes. Neymar, also playing a key role at PSG, appeared just behind Messi in the earnings rankings, with a total close to 90.9 million euros.
In another part of the sports world, Cristiano Ronaldo benefited from moving from Juventus to Manchester United, a transition worth about 110 million euros in the year. Yet the Portuguese superstar’s financial story extends beyond club salaries. With strategic partnerships and brand deals, Ronaldo has maintained substantial revenue streams through social media and sponsorships, including long-standing relationships with Nike and other top brands. The current landscape shows that Messi’s and Ronaldo’s off-field earnings have become a defining factor in their overall value as athletes, intensifying the ongoing comparison between the two icons. LeBron James also plays a prominent role in this narrative, earning a notable 115.7 million, a reflection of his enduring marketability both on and off the basketball court.
As the numbers from Forbes accumulate, a striking fact emerges: a single season rarely pushes an individual past the 92 million euro annual ceiling in the past, a threshold more commonly associated with football superstars. The historical context reveals that only a handful of athletes have surpassed the 100 million euro mark during a single year, with Messi and Ronaldo each breaching that line multiple times in recent seasons. The combined star power of these figures has shaped a broader trend where branding, media appearances, and endorsement revenues rival or exceed on-field compensation for many top athletes.
950 million
In 2022, the world’s ten highest paid athletes brought in a total of 950 million euros. This figure does not stand as a historical peak; it marks a slight dip from the previous year, when the top earners collectively posted higher totals. The year 2022 sits as the third strongest year in the historical series, following 2021 and 2018. A contributing factor to this overall plateau is the softer market in boxing, where some big names saw revenue slow. Conor McGregor, for instance, earned about 172.2 million in the prior year, but his presence dropped out of the top ten this time around. He is expected to reappear in forthcoming lists that rank the world’s wealthiest athletes and entertainers.
best paid
1-Lionel Messi: 130 million dollars, with roughly 75 million tied to his club contract and 55 million from endorsements.
2-LeBron James: 121.2 million dollars, about 41.2 million from his team and roughly 80 million off the court through sponsorships and media ventures.
3-Cristiano Ronaldo: 115 million dollars, 60 million from his club and 55 million from adjacent sports ventures and branding.
4-Neymar: 95 million dollars, 70 million from club activities and 25 million from commercial deals.
5-Stephen Curry: 92.8 million dollars, 45.8 million from play and 47 million from off-court opportunities.
6-Kevin Durant: 92.1 million dollars, 42.1 million from the court and 50 million from brand partnerships.
7-Roger Federer: 90.7 million dollars, with a small on-court contribution and a large share from endorsements and licensing deals off the court.
8-Saúl Canelo Álvarez: 90 million dollars, 85 million from in-ring activity and 5 million from outside rings.
9-Tom Brady: 83.9 million dollars, 31.9 million on the field and 52 million from media and business projects.
10-Giannis Antetokounmpo: 80.9 million dollars, 39.9 million from competition earnings and 41 million from off-field endeavors.