Success isn’t given. It’s earned with hardship; integrity and sweat that makes us better every minute. Athletes are the best illustration of such context of winning the world. Nevertheless it’s not only a big race of who make and break records in the stadiums, it is also a buzzer game of who earns most outside of the tracks. It is not any racial game. Howbeit it’s nothing but an open secret competition.
Top 50 Highest paid Athletes 2017
|
RANK |
PLAYERS | SALARY | ENDORSEMENT | TOTAL |
SPORTS |
|
1 |
Cristiano Ronaldo | $56 M | $32 M | $88 M | Football |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | $53.4 M | $28 M | $81.4 M |
Football |
|
3 |
LeBron James | $23.2 M | $54 M | $77.2 M | Basketball |
| 4 | Roger Federer | $7.8 M | $60 M | $67.8 M |
Tennis |
|
5 |
Kevin Durant | $20.2 M | $36 M | $56.2 M | Basketball |
| 6 | Novak Djokovic | $21.8 M | $34 M | $55.8 M |
Tennis |
|
7 |
Cam Newton | $41.1 M | $12 M | $53.1 M | Rugby |
| 8 | Phil Mickelson | $2.9 M | $50 M | $52.9 M |
Golf |
|
9 |
Jordan Spieth | $20.8 M | $32 M | $52.8 M | Golf |
| 10 | Kobe Bryant | $25 M | $25 M | $50 M |
Basketball |
|
11 |
Lewis Hamilton | $42 M | $4 M | $46 M | Racing |
| 12 | Tiger Woods | $274 K | $45 M | $45.3 M |
Golf |
|
13 |
Eli Manning | $37 M | $8 M | $45 M | Rugby |
| 14 | Joe Flacco | $44 M | $500 K | $44.5 M |
Rugby |
|
15 |
Tom Brady | $36.1 M | $8 M | $44.1 M | Rugby |
| 16 | Floyd Mayweather | $32 M | $12 M | $44 M |
Boxing |
|
17 |
Rory McIlroy | $7.6 M | $35 M | $42.6 M | Golf |
| 18 | Russell Wilson | $31.8 M | $10 M | $41.8 M |
Rugby |
|
19 |
Sebastian Vettel | $40 M | $1 M | $41 M | Racing |
| 20 | Philip Rivers | $37.5 M | $450 K | $38 M |
Rugby |
|
21 |
Rafael Nadal | $5.5 M | $32 M | $37.5 M | Tennis |
| 21 | Neymar Jr |
$14.5 M | $23 M | $37.5 M |
Football |
|
23 |
Zlatan Ibrahimovic | $30.4 M | $7 M | $37.4 M | Football |
| 24 | Fernando Alonso | $35 M | $1.5 M | $36.5 M |
Racing |
|
25 |
Gareth Bale | $24.9 M | $11 M | $35.9 M | Football |
| 26 | Marcell Dareus | $35.1 M | $100 K | $35.2 M |
Rugby |
|
27 |
Peyton Manning | $19.2 M | $15 M | $34.2 M | Rugby |
| 28 | Derrick Rose | $20.1 M | $14 M | $34.1 M |
Basketball |
|
29 |
Kei Nishikori | $3.5 M | $30 M | $33.5 M | Tennis |
| 30 | A.J. Green | $32.8 M | $500 K | $33.3 M |
Rugby |
|
31 |
James Harden | $15.8 M | $17 M | $32.8 M | Basketball |
| 32 | Usain Bolt | $2.5 M | $30 M | $32.5 M |
Track |
|
33 |
Clayton Kershaw | $31.2 M | $800 K | $32 M | Baseball |
| 34 | Dwyane Wade | $20 M | $12 M | $32 M |
Basketball |
|
35 |
Drew Brees | $19 M | $12 M | $31 M | Rugby |
| 36 | Carmelo Anthony | $22.9 M | $8 M | $30.9 M |
Basketball |
|
37 |
Chris Paul | $21.5 M | $8.5 M | $30 M | Basketball |
| 38 | Cliff Lee | $29.2 M | $100 K | $29.3 M |
Baseball |
|
39 |
Olivier Vernon | $28.8 M | $200 K | $29 M | Rugby |
| 40 | Serena Williams | $8.9 M | $20 M | $28.9 M |
Tennis |
|
41 |
Justin Verlander | $28 M | $600 K | $28.6 M | Baseball |
| 42 | Kyrie Irving | $16.6 M | $11 M | $27.6 M |
Basketball |
|
43 |
Julio Jones | $26 M | $1.2 M | $27.2 M | Rugby |
| 44 | Luke Kuechly | $26.1 M | $1 M | $27.1 M |
Rugby |
|
45 |
Robinson Cano | $24 M | $3 M | $27 M | Baseball |
| 46 | Dwight Howard | $22.4 M | $4.5 M | $26.9 M |
Basketball |
|
47 |
Miguel Cabrera | $24.1 M | $2.5 M | $26.6 M | Baseball |
| 48 | Albert Pujols | $24.3 M | $2 M | $26.3 M |
Baseball |
|
49 |
Blake Griffin | $18.1 M | $8 M | $26.1 M | Basketball |
| 50 | Wayne Rooney | $20.1 M | $6 M | $26.1 M |
Football |
This listing is on the basis of yearly salary & endorsement deal. Net worth is different thing where the all time best boxer Floyd Mayweather standing on top position.
In conformity with Forbes, all the highest paid athletes are the rockers in the game zone and many of them are continuing their role of Billionaires Club for years in a row. Forbes told that the number one youngest highest paid player is American golfer Jordan Spieth, the oldest one is another American golfer Phil Mickelson, maximum woman wage earner is American tennis player Serena Williams. Yet above all, the very first position is taken by none other than Portuguese striker Christiano Ronaldo, the star of FC Real Madrid.
