1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 123.61 million euros
CR7 exchanged Manchester United for Al Nassr from Saudi Arabia in January. A transfer that did him no harm. His salary would have nearly doubled to an estimated $68 million. For the first time since 2017, the Portuguese tops the Forbes list again. For the third time in his career already. His income of 123 million euros is a record amount. Cryptocurrency exchange Binance is one of the latest additions to its already massive sponsorship base, bringing its total off-the-field earnings to an estimated $74.5 million over the past 12 months.
2. Lionel Messi – 118.16 million euros
Messi also has a long list of lucrative sponsorship deals with Adidas, Budweiser and Pepsico, among others. He also launched an investment company called Play Time in October. And his salary at PSG is not too bad either.
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3. Kylian Mbappé – 109.1 million euros
For Mbappé it is his first time in the top ten and he is also the only one under thirty years old. Last year he was still in 35th place. At PSG, he earns an astronomical wage, just like Messi. In June, he became the first ambassador for Sorare, a cryptocurrency-based fantasy game.
4. LeBron James – $108.62 million
In addition to being a gifted basketball player, Le Bron James is also a savvy investor. The LA Lakers player is behind sports nutrition company Ladder and the SpringHill Company, which develops and produces TV and other entertainment content, and was producer of the 2023 film House Party, set in his mansion. Over the past year, he has invested in Canyon Bicycles, climate-conscious dairy company Neutral Foods, and sportswear brand Mitchell & Ness.
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5. Canelo Alvarez – 99.9 thousand euro
Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez receives tens of millions of dollars every time he enters the boxing ring. For the past 12 months, he’s had blockbuster fights against Dmitry Bivol and Gennadiy Golovkin. He also has some lucrative sponsorship deals and is active as an entrepreneur.
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6. Dustin Johnson – 97.25 million euros
American golfer Dustin Johnson was one of the first to transfer to the prestigious LIV Golf tour last year. He ended 2022 with the most prize money, worth $32.36 million, including $16.36 million for winning the individual championship. In 2022, by the way, he was not even in the top 50 of Forbes.
7. Phil Mickelson – 96.35 million euros
The second golfer in this top ten. He also participates in the LIV Golf tour and did well there. He is also a co-founder of For Wellness, which makes coffee supplements, and was among the investors who recently bought a large piece of land outside of Phoenix.
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8. Stephen Curry – 91.26 million euros
The second basketball player in this list. His salary of 43.72 million euros with the Golden State Warriors was the highest in the NBA this season. His multimedia company Unanimous Media is one of the producers of a documentary about him that will be released on Apple TV+ in July, and he plans to launch a series of comics next year.
9. Roger Federer – 86.44 million euros
Federer announced his retirement from tennis in September. However, his list of more than a dozen long-term partners remains intact as he begins his second life. He also has a significant stake in the fast-growing Swiss shoe company On.
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10. Kevin Durant – 81 million euros
And another basketball player in the top ten. Durant has been playing for the Phoenix Suns since February. He has his investment company with 35V and a lifetime sneaker deal from the NBA with Nike. And so we can go on and on.
