The 10 highest-paid athletes in the world in 2023 rankings

Whether they are a football star, basketball champion or American football player, professional athletes earn millions not only through their sporting achievements. Sponsorship and advertising contracts also provide high-profile athletes with additional high-paying income. The richest of them are included in the annual Forbes ranking of the highest paid athletes.

In the period from May 2022 to May 2023, the ten highest-paid athletes collectively earned more than one billion US dollars, according to the annual ranking of the famous American magazine Forbes. Here's a look at the highest earners during this period.

The basketball player is currently active with the Phoenix Suns in the NBA. With an annual income of $44.1 million in 2023, Kevin Durant is the 10th highest-paid athlete, according to Forbes.

In addition to his athletic achievements on the field, Kevin Durant also earns a significant income outside of sports, estimated at around $45 million. He has reportedly acquired shares in several sports brands in recent months, including volleyball League One and nutrition brand Happy Viking, through his investment firm 35V.

Swiss tennis player Roger Federer ranks ninth in the current rankings of the highest-paid athletes in the world. Although Federer officially retired last year, he remains one of the highest-paid athletes with an estimated annual salary of $95 million.

The 42-year-old owns shares in Swiss shoe company On, among other companies, and has contracts with numerous brands, including sponsors such as Barilla, Mercedes Benz, JURA and Lindt & Sprüngli.

This year, NBA player Stephen Curry, who has been under contract with the Golden State Warriors since the beginning of his professional career in 2009, ranks eighth among the highest-paid athletes in 2023.

Stephen Curry is the highest-paid player on his team in the current season of the NBA, as he earned more than $50 million, making him the first player in history to reach this number. The 35-year-old recently signed a long-term endorsement contract with Under Armor that will run through the rest of his basketball career. In addition to his athletic successes, Curry is also active as a businessman. According to Forbes, his annual salary is $100.4 million.

Phil Mickelson is one of the most successful golfers of all time. The American has won numerous titles in his career, including five major titles. Last year, he decided to switch from the PGA Tour to the LIV Golf Tour in Saudi Arabia, which has a much larger budget and attracts professional athletes with generous bonuses and guarantees. In golf, Mickelson is currently ranked second among the highest-paid athletes.

Dustin Johnson was also among the leading golfers to join the LIV Golf Tour. According to media reports, Johnson received more than $35 million in guarantees in 2022. Forbes estimates his annual salary at $107 million.

Professional boxer Canelo Alvarez takes fifth place in the ranking of the highest paid athletes in 2023. Of the 64 professional fights he has fought so far, the 33-year-old Mexican has recorded an impressive 60 victories. Last year there were two amazing fights against Gennady Golovkin and Dmitry Bivol. Although Alvarez lost the latter, he still sees earnings of up to $40 million per fight, according to Sporting News.

In addition to his successful sports career, Alvarez is also active as an entrepreneur. He is the founder of sports drink company Yaoca, fitness app I Can, and gas station chain Canelo Energy. Forbes estimates his total income at an impressive $110 million annually.

LeBron James ranks fourth in the rankings of the highest-paid athletes for the year 2023. The professional basketball player has a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, and is expected to earn about $47.6 million this season, according to the American “ESPN” television channel. However, most of his overall income comes from activities outside the basketball court. Forbes estimates that James earns a salary of $75 million through advertising partnerships, sponsorships, and investments. In 2015, he signed a lifetime advertising contract with sporting goods manufacturer Nike.

At just 24 years old, Frenchman Kylian Mbappe is the youngest athlete in this classification. According to the daily newspaper Le Parisien, the contract that Mbappe signed in Paris since the summer of 2022 is expected to bring him the equivalent of about $687 million in total over three years.

According to Forbes, the France international earns an annual salary of $100 million on the soccer field, as well as income from advertising and sponsorship deals of around $20 million.

In 2023, Argentine professional footballer Lionel Messi, currently contracted with the American club Inter Miami, will take second place in the Forbes ranking of the highest-paid athletes. In July 2023, Messi moved from Paris Saint-Germain to the North American Professional League (MLS). Major League Soccer has now announced that Messi will receive an annual salary of $21 million, making him the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer.

Messi's total compensation, which also includes a share of Major League Soccer's Apple TV deal, is estimated at up to $62 million.

Messi is still viewed as one of the best footballers of all time and thus attracts many advertising and collaboration partners. Through advertising deals with companies such as Pepsi, Adidas and Budweiser, he was able to earn an additional $65 million away from the football field.

Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo rose to the top of the ranking of highest-paid athletes in 2023, improving two places compared to the previous year. According to media reports, the 38-year-old player, who plays as a striker for Al-Nasr Club, will receive a salary of $200 million during the contract period of two and a half years. In comparison, Ronaldo earned around $60 million per year at his former club, Manchester United.

Many companies have asked Ronaldo as their advertising vehicle for many years. With more than 600 million followers on Instagram, the footballer became the most popular person in the world on Instagram in October 2023. As the face of the American sporting goods manufacturer Nike and through several small advertising deals, including contracts with Herbalife and Binance, he earns The Portuguese has millions more, according to Forbes.

Transparency note: This article first appeared in WirtschaftsWoche in October 2020. We have updated it and are showing it again based on reader interest.

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