Messi tops Forbes' 2022 list of highest-paid athletes
Lionel Messi has claimed the top spot on Forbes' annual ranking of the world's highest-paid athletes.
Messi, who left Barcelona last year to join Paris Saint-Germain, led the 2022 list with pre-tax gross earnings of $130 million, including $75 million in salary and $55 million from endorsements. It's the second time he's landed at No. 1 after leading the list in 2019.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James came in at No. 2 with $121.2 million in total earnings, with Cristiano Ronaldo ($115 million), Neymar ($95 million), and Stephen Curry ($92.8 million) rounding out the top five.
The 10 highest-paid athletes collectively took home $992 million over the last 12 months, marking the third-highest yearly earnings total ever; the members of the 2021 list combined to earn $1.05 billion, while the 2018 group collected $1.06 billion.
Here's the full list:
| Rank | Athlete | Total Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | $130 million |
| 2 | LeBron James | $121.2 million |
| 3 | Cristiano Ronaldo | $115 million |
| 4 | Neymar | $95 million |
| 5 | Stephen Curry | $92.8 million |
| 6 | Kevin Durant | $92.1 million |
| 7 | Roger Federer | $90.7 million |
| 8 | Canelo Alvarez | $90 million |
| 9 | Tom Brady | $83.9 million |
| 10 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | $80.9 million |