Highest-paid athletes in 2022: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, Roger Federer and others

From pitch and field to the ground and ring, superstar athletes across the world make tens of millions of dollars every year through their annual salaries and brand endorsements. In 2022, the world's highest-paid sportspersons list includes Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James and Stephen Curry among others. While football stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have earned $100 million or more in a single year for five times each, NBA star LeBron James becomes only the tenth athlete ever to enter the prestigious list. Check the top 10 highest earning athletes in 2022, according to the reports by Forbes and Spotrac. Top 10 highest-paid athletes in 2022 10. Giannis Antetokounmpo On-Field: $39.9 Million Off-Field: $41 Million Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only athlete in his 20s to make this year's list of top 10 highest-paid sportspersons. The two-time MVP signed the NBA’s largest contract by total value in December 2020 after signing a five-year contract with the Bucks that worth $228 million. In 2021, Giannis helped his team to win their second NBA title after 50 years. The Greek Freak earns around $40 million through h is major endorsements that include brands like JBL, Tissot, 2K Sports, Hulu, and Nike. #PAGE_BREAK# 9. Tom Brady On-Field: $31.9 Million Off-Field: $52 Million Tom Brady won his record seventh Super Bowl title in 2021 and retired from the sport, which lasted less than six weeks. The 44-year-old Brady has a $30 million wage in 2022 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The legendary quarterback is the co-founder of 199 Productions, the NFT platform, Autograph among his other lucrative deals. Reportedly, Tom Brady had signed a 10-year $375 million deal in May 2022 to join the Fox Sports broadcasting booth for NFL games upon his retirement. #PAGE_BREAK# 8. Canelo Alvarez On-Field: $85 Million Off-Field: $5 Million The Mexican boxer, Canelo Alvarez has won multiple world championships in four weight classes from light middleweight to light heavyweight. The 32-year-old won two pay-per-view bouts in Many and November to earn over $40 million. Apart from his earning from boxing, Alvarez has a lucrative partnership with Hennessy and owns a taco restaurant in Mexico. #PAGE_BREAK# 7. Roger Federer On-Field: $0.7 Million Off-Field: $90 Million The 20-time Grand Slams winner, Roger Federer failed to recover from his knee injury that he sustained in 2021 and announced his retirement after the 2022 Laver Cup in September. Although, the Swiss star made only one appearance on the court in 2022, he is still the highest-paid tennis player due to his bankable brand promotions such as Uniqlo and Rolex. #PAGE_BREAK# 6. Kevin Durant On-Field: $42.9 Million Off-Field: $50 Million Two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant joined Brooklyn Nets in 2019 and his current salary is around $42.9 million, according to Spotrac. Durant joined fellow professional athletes LeBron James, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees as an investor in a professional pickleball team in October 2022. After LeBron James, KD is entitled to the second highest annual sneaker deal among active players, which is around $28 million from Nike. #PAGE_BREAK# 5. Steph Curry On-Field: $48 Million Off-Field: $47 Million Four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry is the highest-paid NBA player in 2022 with around $48 million annual salary from the defending champions, Golden State Warriors. The 34-year-old Curry earns around $40 million from his lucrative brand promotions that includes Nike, Under Armour, Rakuten and Nissan. Additionally, the Warriors guard's production company, Unanimous Media, has a development deal with Sony Pictures. #PAGE_BREAK# 4. Neymar On-Field: $70 Million Off-Field: $25 Million The Brazilian star, Neymar Jr. earns around $70 million annually in 2022 from Paris Saint-Germain, according to Forbes. Apart from his on-field earnings, the 30-year-old Brazil forward is entitled to $25 million from his brand endorsements that include lucrative deals with Puma and Red Bull among others. In January 2022, a Netflix documentary on the PSG star's life, Neymar: The Perfect Chaos was released. #PAGE_BREAK# 3. Cristiano Ronaldo On-Field: $60 Million Off-Field: $55 Million Before Manchester United terminated his contract during the FIFA World Cup 2022 break, five-time Ballon D'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo had a $60 million contract with the Premier League giants. The 37-year-old Ronaldo is the most followed sportsperson across social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and makes a massive amount of money through his social media presence. The Portugal captain has lucrative deals with Nike, Herbalife and Clear shampoo among others. #PAGE_BREAK# 2. LeBron James On-Field: $41.2 Million Off-Field: $80 Million The four-time NBA champion and Finals MVP, LeBron James is the highest paid NBA player in the year 2022 as he makes roughly $41.2 million from Los Angeles Lakers and also have a number of well-paid endorsement deals. James and American rapper Drake became part owners of the Italian football club A.C. Milan in August 2022. LeBron sold a minority stake in his production company, SpringHill in October and announced an endorsement deal with Crypto.com. #PAGE_BREAK# 1. Lionel Messi On-Field: $75 Million Off-Field: $55 Million Lionel Messi created history by helping Argentina to win their third FIFA World Cup title in Qatar and become the only player ever to win two Golden Ball awards. The 35-year-old Messi partnered with fan engagement app Socios, Budweiser, J&T Express in 2022. Messi also became the first global ambassador of the India's leading ed-tech firm, Byju's social impact arm. The Argentine moved to PSG in 2021 from Barcelona and after having a dismal first season with the French club, Messi recorded great numbers in the second season.

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Highest-paid athletes in 2022: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, Roger Federer and others