VeryWickedMan:
I'm surprised that no skull miner made the list

Ode, Giannis is more an Afonja than a Igbo. His mum is proud that she married an Afonja. The Afonja blood flows in me.

obembet:
Neymar is also included in the top 10, with superstar performers from the NBA, NFL, tennis and boxing figuring prominently

Lionel Messi may have taken a pay cut when leaving Barcelona as a free agent to link up with Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021, but his superstar appeal has ensured that he takes the No.1 spot on Forbes’ run down of the highest-paid athletes on the planet.

Endorsements away from the pitch, alongside a lucrative deal at Parc des Princes, have allowed the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner to pip NBA legend LeBron James to first place on a notable chart that also includes Manchester United frontman Cristiano Ronaldo and PSG forward Neymar.

Iconic figures from the worlds of basketball, NFL, tennis and boxing complete the top 10, with there some serious marketing appeal on show in a run down of those that continue to pull in the biggest pay cheques.

1. Lionel Messi | $130m/£107m

The mercurial Argentine is working on a hefty salary at PSG, but those earnings are dwarfed by the commercial partnerships he enjoys away from the pitch. Messi boasts an endorsement portfolio that includes deals with Adidas, Budweiser and PepsiCo, while a multi-year partnership with Socios is worth $20 million (£16m) to the South American.

2. LeBron James | $121.2m/£99m

The Los Angeles Lakers forward is now a movie star, having appeared in Space Jam: A New Legacy, and boasts a talk show, ‘The Shop’, that has moved from HBO to YouTube. He sold a minority stake in production company SpringHill in October 2021 for about $725m (£594m). James announced a deal with Crypto.com in January and has also invested in home gym company Tonal and sports tech startup StatusPRO.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo | $115m/£94m

The Portuguese is well established as an all-time great in football circles and remains in eternal competition with fellow multiple Ballon d’Or winner Messi. A big-money contract was signed when returning to Manchester United in 2021, but much of Ronaldo’s earning power comes from social media – where he boasts 690 million combined followers. That allows him to bring in revenue from sponsors Nike, Herbalife and Clear shampoo. He is also an investor in Tatel restaurants and is the face of an upcoming soccer community app called ZujuGP.

4. Neymar | $95m/£78m

The Brazilian forward has a number of valuable sponsorship deals in place with the likes of Puma and Red Bull. He has been the subject of a Netlfix docuseries and is dipping his toe into the world of NFTs

5. Stephen Curry | $92.8m/£76m

Signed a four-year, $215 million (£176m) contract with the Golden State Warriors in August 2021. Curry’s new FTX endorsement deal came with an equity stake and he is another to have moved into blockchain and NFT. He has endorsements relating to trainers and his production company, Unanimous Media, signed a development deal with Comcast NBCUniversal in September of last year.

6. Kevin Durant | $92.1m/£75m

Nike pay Durant around $28 million (£23m) to promote their brand, while deals have also been done with Coinbase, NBA Top Shot and Weedmaps. He has his media company, Boardoom, and investment firm, Thirty Five Ventues, and has more recently branched out into the NFT platform OpenSea and digital fitness startup Future.

7. Roger Federer | $90.7m/£74m

The Swiss icon has spent several years working with brands such as Rolex and Uniqlo. Federer invested in the Swiss shoe brand On in 2019, and that company raised more than $600 million (£492m) when going public in September 2021.

8. Canelo Alvarez | $90m/£74m

The Mexican boxer tends to pull in more than $40 million (£33m) from his box office appeal in pay-per-view events, with a legion of loyal supporters following his every move. Away from the ring, Canelo has a lucrative partnership with Hennessy and owns a taco restaurant chain in his homeland that intends to expand into America. He has also stated a desire to launch a chain of gas stations, while Canelo Productions work closely with DAZN and Matchroom Boxing to put on fights in Mexico.

9. Tom Brady | $83.9m/£69m

The GOAT of American football has shelved retirement plans for now, but it has been reported that he has an analyst offer from Fox Sports on the table that will be worth $375 million (£308m) once the day comes to hang up his cleats. He already has a production company, 199 Productions, and a new clothing line named BRADY. The NFT platform he co-founded in 2021 has raised $170m (£139m), while his Religion of Sports production enterprise has a content agreement in place with Skydance Sports.

10. Giannis Antetokounmpo | $80.9m/£66m

The youngest member of the top 10, with the Milwaukee Bucks’ two-time MVP penning a five-year contract in December 2020 that is worth $228 million (£187m). He is one of the investors in timepiece resale platform WatchBox and has a licensing agreement in place with NFT platform NFTSTAR. Giannis’ endorsement stable also includes deals with WhatsApp and Google Pixel, while his life story – in a biopic called ‘Rise’ - will be available to stream on Disney+ from June.

Source: https://www.goal.com/en/lists/messi-beats-lebron-james-no-1-forbes-list-highest-paid/blt6c2a50108ae54182

The original Forbes article has Lebron as #1. Dailymail did 2 stories: One had Lebron as #1 (small print) and the second one had Messi as #1 (large print)

Ronaldo pics came first?

MMWandali:
They are only wasting their money on him

.... He's paid his dues... If e pain you.... Go meet enyimba make them waste their money on you

MMWandali:
They are only wasting their money on him

Hater.. Pele you can hug transformer.

Angelfrost:


You see my point?!! P0rnstars are even cashing out big time!

It because they don't publish it

IDIOTmoderators:

Hater.. Pele you can hug transformer.

Do I hate u or ur momma?

I am entitled to my opinion and not stop you from having your own

Go and lick his shoes if you want

MALIGNANTGuest:
LEBRON my man...
MESSI my Senior man...

What of Ororo Obembet's idol?

Neimar:
See one hater for up

Right ontop of you

Omo oyibo money no be here , see as one Nigerian guy dey 10th for the list , abeg make una train una pikin for sports ooo, na d best ritual money !!!!

obembet:
Someone will say obembet don't see anything good about Messi.. I expect them to show me more respect. I like Messi



Cristiano

If cr7 had taken the number one spot and Messi, third, then your headline would have been 'Cr7 beat Messi to number one spot' but now it's Messi beats lebron. Still waiting for recognition from Cr7? You go wait tire

obembet:
Someone will say obembet don't see anything good about Messi.. I expect them to show me more respect. I like Messi



Cristiano

Nahhhh!
Obembet, you are just trying to save face having realise that your CR7 despite all the goals he has scored this season is leading Manchester United to the Europa conference league

[quote author=Rawhumper post=112765127]How can Lebron sell that stuff over 700m dollars and his net worth will still be around 121m dollars, how is that plausible?


Bloggers and their news, others will still have their different views.

So you don't know the difference between income and networth? What is listed is their income not their wealth.

MMWandali:


Do I hate u or ur momma?

I am entitled to my opinion and not stop you from having your own

Go and lick his shoes if you want

Lol... Na vice versa na.. I am also entitled to my own opinion. What I sent to you is also my own opinion.
Do I hate you or your momma?

ERORR404:
Highest paid for doing nothing.. yahoo footballer

he won the league

�

IDIOTmoderators:

Lol... Na vice versa na.. I am also entitled to my own opinion. What I sent to you is also my own opinion.
Do I hate you or your momma?

Did I accuse you of hate?

Football and Basketball both have 3 stars in the top 10

MMWandali:


I don't hate him
I'm entitled to my opinion
Please keep quiet

Yessir

MMWandali:

Did I accuse you of hate?

Did I accuse you of hate either?

ERORR404:
Highest paid for doing nothing.. yahoo footballer

Pepper body.... You are actually ERROR..

ERORR404:
Highest paid for doing nothing.. yahoo footballer

Football is team work it is not an individual game. He won the league... Wetin ORORO (vegetable oil) don win? With all the goals? NOTHING!

Bignuell:
A lady made $50M from onlyfans last year

Who is the lady please?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zsI319IiTc

obembet:
Someone will say obembet don't see anything good about Messi.. I expect them to show me more respect. I like Messi



Cristiano

Here is a summary on my observation on you.

Since MESSI Won 6 golden boot and 7 d'Or the
then went ahead to Dominate Copa America that started to give you sleepless Nights, I think You are the most Bitter person on NL.

Messi at PSG not scoring more than 10league Goals made you climax and you were shouting your lung on how Ronaldo is banging Goals.

But the part Messi give more than 15 Ligue 1 Assist that kind news you would always avoid.

Accept the Truth and know peace

"There is a big difference in being just a great goalscorer and being the best player: yohan Cruyff

Na so I see am, but thanks my brain was not functioning in that direction.

Thanks for the redirection bro.









quote author=einsteine post=112770110][/quote]

obembet:
Someone will say obembet don't see anything good about Messi.. I expect them to show me more respect. I like Messi



Cristiano

Okay...we don respect you for disappointing us this time

IDIOTmoderators:

Did I accuse you of hate either?

Sorry, please but you did the first time you quote me

Omo there is money in sports. I just love d way d athletes are investing their money wisely.

IDIOTmoderators:

Did I accuse you of hate either?

Sorry please, But yes you did

Refer to the very first time you quote me on this thread

MMWandali:


Sorry please, But yes you did

Refer to the very first time you quote me on this thread

I asked you to hug transformer. Is that hate accusation?

IDIOTmoderators:

I asked you to hug transformer. Is that hate accusation?

Be sincere and truthful to yourself
"Hater" was the first word there before the other statement