According to "Forbes," Argentine football star Lionel Messi, playing for Paris Saint-Germain, topped the list of the highest-paid athletes in the world in 2021, earning about $130 million. He surpassed American basketball star LeBron James and Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. The 34-year-old "La Pulga" returned to the top of the rankings, published by the American magazine, after being overtaken the previous year by Irish mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor.
Out of his total income of $130 million before taxes (similar to 2019 and 2020 when he was with Spanish club Barcelona), $75 million came from his contract with the Parisian club, while $55 million was generated from his business activities, particularly with "Adidas," "Budweiser," and "Pepsi."
NBA Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James (37 years old) ranks second with $121.2 million, two-thirds of which (about $80 million) comes from non-sport endeavors, including ventures in cinema and cryptocurrencies. Meanwhile, Manchester United winger Ronaldo (37 years old) rounds out the top three with earnings of $115 million. The Portuguese forward's income is balanced, with $60 million from his sports contract and $55 million from other activities, especially sponsorship deals with "Nike" and others.
Brazilian Neymar, Messi's teammate at PSG, holds the fourth position with $95 million, followed by Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry in fifth place with $82.8 million.
Outside of football and basketball, Swiss tennis star Roger Federer is ranked seventh with an income of $90.7 million, $90 million of which comes from his business activities due to his numerous absences last year following knee surgery.
