- Sports Finance
- January 18, 2023
Who are the Top 10 highest-paid athletes in 2023?
It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and talent to reach the Top in any field. Sports is not an exception but as a matter of fact, reaching the Top in sports is even more difficult than most of the other fields, due to very high competition and very less spots available. But when an athlete manages to reach the pinnacle, he is extremely well compensated. Not only is he paid a handsome salary by his team and management but also earns hefty money from endorsements. Let’s have a look at the top 10 highest-paid athletes in 2023.[1]
Who are the Top 10 highest-paid athletes in 2023?
1. Christiano Ronaldo – $270 Million
Christiano Ronaldo is regarded by many as one of the G.O.A.T players of football. This Portuguese star has played for his national team and was also associated with Manchester United for a very long time, until his “kind of” ugly exit. He already received a handsome figure with Man U. Now he has signed a contract with Al-Nassr until 2025 at a fixed price of a whopping $214 Million USD. Experts are already saying that Ronaldo will prove to be the most expensive player in history.
Not only contract money, but Ronaldo also makes good money off-field with endorsements and sponsorship deals. He is associated with big brands like Armani, Nike, and Herbalife. According to Forbes, his Off-field income is estimated to be around $55 million USD.[2]
2. Lionel Messi – $248 Million
Next on this list of the highest-paid athletes, is another G.O.A.T. from football. Lionel Messi is a professional soccer player known for his forward position and his role as captain of the Argentina national team. He currently plays for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. Messi has made significant income through his salary as a soccer player, as well as endorsement and sponsorship deals with companies such as Adidas, Pepsi, and Gatorade. He is widely considered one of the best soccer players of all time, with numerous awards and accolades to his name. In 2022, Messi finally achieved the one major accomplishment that had previously eluded him: winning the FIFA World Cup. This victory completed his career and cemented his place among the greatest soccer players of all time.
Messi has a $168 million USD play contract and his off-field income from endorsements and sponsorships amount to about $80 million USD.[3]
3. Phil Mickelson – $138 Million
Phil Mickelson is a professional golfer who has achieved significant success and financial wealth through his prize money, endorsement deals, and investments. He has won numerous golf tournaments, including five major championships, and has endorsement contracts with companies like Callaway Golf, KPMG, and Rolex. In addition to his career in golf, Mickelson has also invested in various business ventures, such as golf courses and restaurants. He is widely regarded as one of the best golfers in history, with a reputation for strong performances on the course.
According to Forbes, Phil Mickelson is set to earn an estimated $200 million from the LIV Golf Tour, a start-up tour backed by Saudi Arabia that is attempting to compete with the PGA Tour. Mickelson is expected to receive half of this amount upfront. In total, he earned $138 million in the past year.[4]
4. Kylian Mbappé – $128 Million
At just 22 years this football player from France has already made a big name for himself. Mbappé plays for French National Team and Paris Saint-Germain. He has a reported salary of $110 Million USD from these, which constitutes a significant portion of his income. He is also associated with big brands like Nike, TAG Heuer, and Coca-cola. Endorsement contracts with these and other sponsorships related to the soccer industry add an estimated $18 Million USD to his income. He is a great young talent and his income is only a testimony of his great talent and hard work.[5]
5. Canelo Alvarez – $98 Million
Canelo Alvarez is a professional boxer hailing from Mexico. He is a great boxer and has won countless titles and trophies including many world championships. His mix of income sources includes prize money, endorsements, and sponsorships. He has long-standing endorsement deals with multiple brands like Tecate and Hennesy. He is also an investor with a particular interest in Real Estate.
Alvarez’s total income from fights is estimated to be $42.5 Million. He also received shares corresponding to PPV rights sold for the fights. Add $5 million in sponsorship money and his income reaches around $98 Million. In addition, he also made about $20 million from real estate investments.[6]
6. Stephen Curry – $96 Million
Stephen Curry is a legendary Basketball player who plays for the Golden State Warriors of the NBA (National Basketball Association). He is widely known for his role as a shooter in the “death lineup” which helped the Warriors win multiple championships. Like most of the other athletes on the list, Curry has the same three income sources – Salary, Endorsements, and Sponsorships.
He had good salary and endorsement deals with major brands like Vivo, Nissan, Chase, Armour, and Subway. His Salary amounts to $53.8 million and his endorsements amount to $42 million.
7. Kevin Durrant – $84 Million
Like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durrant is another basketball player who has made it to the list of the highest-paid athletes. Co-incidentally he was also a member of the “death lineup” for the Warriors. Currently, he plays for the Brooklyn Nets in NBA. Durrant has won multiple championships and awards throughout his career. In the last year, he made around $49 million through his NBA contract with the Nets. He also signed multiple endorsements with many big brands like Google, Nike, Alaska Air, Skullcandy, and Sprint. The value of these endorsements is a staggering $35 Million. [7]
8. Dustin Johnson – $68 Million
Dustin Johnson is a professional golfer and has won numerous in his career including US Open in 2016 and LIV’s triple crown in 2022. He is an experienced golfer who has performed consistently over the years. His main sources of income are prize money and endorsements. He is associated with big brands like TaylorMade, Rolex, and Bridgestone Golf.
He won total prize money of $35.6 million. When we add the endorsement money and other bonus his total income is estimated to be $68.5 Million this year.
9. Tiger Woods – $68 Million
Tiger woods is a legendary American Golfer who is also a billionaire. Although Woods did not play much this year due to his leg injury, still he managed to bag $68 million just in 3 appearances.
Woods is regarded as an undisputed G.O.A.T. in golf and has great endorsement deals. He is also reported to have turned down a major deal from LIV tour, which was believed to be near the $1 Billion mark!! [8]
10. Bryson DeChambeau – $66 Million
Another golfer who has made it to the list of highest-paid athletes is Bryson DeChambeau. Bryson is a professional golfer who has become very famous due to his unique style of golf. He has won multiple championships giving him a great amount of prize money. He also endorses big brands like Cobra Golf, Bridgestone Golf, and Element Electronics. This year however the most significant part of his income came from LIV which paid him $62 million taking his total for this year to $66 million USD.[9]
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