Vijf van s’ werelds bestbetaalde sporters

Of course, as an athlete you have to leave many things behind to be the very best, but in return some get a nice amount of money. From lucrative sponsorship deals to their own gas stations; MASTERS looks at what the highest-paid athletes in the world make their money on.

5. Canelo Álvarez 

With fights against the likes of Dmitry Bivol and Golovkin, the boxer manages to collect several million each time he steps into the ring. But outside the ring, the boxer also has a number of lucrative sponsorship deals with brands such as Hennessy and Michelob Ultra. Since he signed with Excel Sports Management last year, these types of deals are only expected to increase. The athlete is also active as an entrepreneur; for example, he is the man behind sports drink brand Yaoca, fitness app I Can and gas station Canelo Energy. Both in the ring and outside, the boxer earns €100 million annually.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Saul Alvarez (@canelo)

4. LeBron James

He is also considered one of the best basketball players ever. But that top athletes today are also successful founders and investors, LeBron proves all too well. In June, he became the first active athlete to be labeled a billionaire by Forbes. A few years ago, for example, the NBA legend founded the media and entertainment company The SpringHill Company and the sports nutrition company Ladder. In total, the basketball player's earnings come to €110 million a year.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by 👑 (@kingjames)

3. Kylian Mbappé

With a total of €111 million per year in earnings and an age of 24, Mbappé is the only athlete in this list under 30. The French star player turned down Real Madrid's offer last year and decided to stay with Paris Saint Germain until 2025. Among other things, the club won him over by having his contract stipulate that he will henceforth be involved in important decisions within the club. Mbappé's gross income in terms of salary - i.e., excluding bonuses and other premiums - is reportedly six million euros a month.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kylian Mbappé (@k.mbappe)

2. Lionel Messi

Messi may leave Paris Saint-Germain after this season for free. What the future holds remains to be seen; will he return to Barcelona or, like Ronaldo, join a club in Saudi Arabia. Either way, for a well-filled bank account the footballer does not seem to have to do it. Collaborations with brands such as Adidas, PepsiCo and Budweiser alone earn him an estimated €18 million a year. Together with his earnings on the field, this athlete's earnings come to €120 million.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

1. Cristiano Ronaldo 

Ronaldo parted ways with Manchester United in November and joined Saudi soccer club Al Nassr in January. The move earned him a hefty salary increase. With a total of 850 million followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner also has an attractive earning model off the field. Through collaborations with several companies - with crypto platform Binance being a new addition - his earnings rose to €83 million over the past 12 months. The footballer's total earnings come to €125 million. This puts Ronaldo once again at a lonely height in the list of the world's highest-earning athletes.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano)