This year, sports’ biggest stars hit the jackpot, taking home $1.1 billion. Astronomical earnings for professional athletes reached an all-time high this year, driven by lucrative contracts, thriving business opportunities and strategic investments. In this ranking, discover the 10 richest athletes of 2023, world icons who knew how to turn their success on the ground into real wealth.
#2 Lionel Messi
$130 million
sports income : 65 million dollars
non-sports income : 65 million dollars
nation : Argentina
sports : soccer
age : 35 years
In the world of sports, some legends manage to reach great heights of money while admiring their unparalleled talent. Lionel Messi, the Argentine football genius, perfectly embodies this fusion of sporting excellence and massive wealth.
Messi’s future is the subject of much speculation. Rumors are circulating that he could return to Barcelona, and join Ronaldo in The Arabian Peninsula Saudi or even down MLS with Inter Miami. Either way, his bank account should be safe. Its total revenue matches the last two editions of the ranking, and it has a long list of profitable sponsors, including Adidas, Budweiser, and PepsiCo. His contract with Socios, the blockchain-based fan platform, alone earns him around $20 million per year, and the opportunities are expected to multiply after he led Argentina to win the FIFA World Cup last December. He also launched an investment company called Play Time in October.
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