With Messi at the top: the list of the 50 athletes who earned the most money in 2022

Forbes magazine published the ranking of the 50 athletes who earned the most money in 2022 after an extensive analysis that collects information on salaries, prizes and sponsorship money that includes athletes from all over the planet. This time, Argentinian Lionel Messi is at the top of the list for what he achieved in a period that begins in May 2021 and ends in May of this year.

This is the second time that the PSG forward has been at the top, the previous time was in 2019, and this time he achieved it with revenues of USD 130 million. In addition, the website highlights that his salary in the French team is lower than what he received in Barcelona (about USD 22 million less) but that he has reached agreements with companies that have allowed him to increase his profits. At this point, a link “worth USD 20 million per year with Socios, a ‘fan engagement’ application based on blockchain technology” and its links with Adidas, Budweiser and PepsiCo stand out. In addition, in March he became the first ambassador for the athletic firm Hard Rock International.

The curious thing is that the period taken for this report excludes his consecration in the World Cup in Qatar, which in addition to glory will bring wealth to the football player. The North American magazine explains that all the data correspond to between May 2021 and May 2022, meaning that it coincides with the end of the European season. For this reason, it does take into account the awards he received for being crowned the 2021 Ballon d’Or.

Second on the list is LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers star basketball player. The American had more activity outside than on the courts for having starred in Space Jam: A New Legacy in 2021 and having launched his talk show The Shop. In total, he earned USD 121.2 million (41.2 million between salary and prizes). The analysis clarifies that something key that allowed it to reach such a sum was the sale of a minority part of its production company, valued at 725 million, and an agreement with the Crypto site.

The podium closes with Cristiano Ronaldo, with USD 115 million. His return to Manchester United was not as expected in terms of sports, but it did affect his bank account favorably. “Much of Ronaldo’s purchasing power comes from his massive presence on social networks: he has 690 million followers on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, which allows him to demand very high rates from sponsors such as Nike, Herbalife and Clear shampoo. He is also an investor in Tatel restaurants, including a new location in Beverly Hills, and is the face of ZujuGP, an upcoming application that aims to be a digital football community,” explains Forbes.

The only two women in the TOP 50 are tennis players Naomi Osaka, in 19th place, and Serena Williams, 31, who in turn announced her retirement this year and closed her career as the best in history. In addition, only six of the athletes that appear had never been in the ranking and the most surprising of all is Jake Paul, who was born as a YouTube star and became a boxer. His most outstanding work was against Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition match held in Miami.

Of the total, 36 are American, 9 are European and three are Latin American. The only African is the soccer player Mohamed Salah and the only representative from Asia is Japan’s Osaka. In turn, the predominant sport is basketball, with 17 (all in the NBA), followed by American football, with 14.

The full list

1- Lionel Messi (soccer, Argentina), USD 130 million.

2- LeBron James (basketball, United States) USD 121.2 million.

3- Cristiano Ronaldo (soccer, Portugal) USD 115 million.

4- Neymar (soccer, Brazil) USD 95 million.

5- Stephen Curry (basketball, United States) USD 92.8 million.

6- Kevin Durant (basketball, United States) USD 92.1 million.

7- Roger Federer (tennis, Switzerland) USD 90.7 million.

8- Canelo Álvarez (boxing, Mexico) USD 90 million.

9- Tom Brady (American football, United States) USD 83.9 million.

10- Giannis Antetokounmpo (basketball, Greece) USD 80.9 million.

11- Russell Westbrook (basketball, United States) USD 79.2 million.

12- James Harden (basketball, United States) USD 74.4 million.

13- Matthew Stafford (American football, United States) USD 72.3 million.

14- Aaron Rodgers (American football, United States) USD 68 million.

15- Tiger Woods (golf, United States) USD 68 million.

16- Josh Allen (American football, United States) USD 67 million.

17- Lewis Hamilton (racing driver, United Kingdom) USD 65 million.

18- Tyson Fury (boxing, United Kingdom) USD 62 million.

19- Naomi Osaka (tennis, Japan) $59.2 million.

20- Damian Lillard (basketball, United States) USD 57.4 million.

21- Deshaun Watson (American football, United States) $55.6 million.

22- Klay Thompson (basketball, United States) USD 55 million.

23- Mike Trout (baseball, United States) $49.5 million.

24- Patrick Mahomes (American football, United States) USD 49.1 million.

25- Kirk Cousins (American football, United States) $48.5 million.

26- Jimmy Butler (basketball, United States) $48 million.

26- Max Verstappen (racing driver, The Netherlands) USD 48 million.

28- Paul George (basketball, United States) $47.9 million.

29- Anthony Davis (basketball, United States) $45.4 million.

29- Kawhi Leonard (basketball, United States) $45.4 million.

31- Phil Mickelson (golf, United States) $45.3 million.

31- Serena Williams (tennis, United States) $45.3 million.

33- Mohamed Salah (soccer, Egypt) USD 45 million.

34- John Wall (basketball, United States) $44.8 million.

35- Kylian Mbappé (soccer, France) USD 43 million.

35- Conor McGregor (MMA, Ireland) $43 million.

37- Rory McIlroy (golf, Northern Ireland) $41.5 million.

38- Marshon Lattimore (American football, United States) $40.9 million.

39- Devin Booker (basketball, United States) $39.9 million.

40- Joel Embiid (basketball, United States) $39.7 million.

41- Amari Cooper (American football, United States) $39.4 million.

41- Dak Prescott (American football, United States) $39.4 million.

43- Chris Paul (basketball, United States) $39.1 million.

44- Ryan Ramczyk (American football, United States) $38.8 million.

45- Stefon Diggs (American football, United States) $38.7 million.

46- Jake Paul (boxing, United States) $38 million.

46- Kemba Walker (basketball, United States) $38 million.

46- Russell Wilson (American football, United States) $38 million.

49- Bradley Beal (baseball, United States) $38 million.

50- T.J. Watt (American football, United States) $37.6 million.

This article was originally published on infobae.com