Top 20 Highest Paid Athletes 2023 in the World [With Net Worth & Earning]
Listen to Podcast:
Everyone wants to know news or information about the highest paid athletes in 2023 or the highest-paid sportsmen. As you know that soccer players accounted for three of the world’s highest paid athletes in 2023 the previous year, according to Forbes.
Lionel Messi led the list with a reported income of $130 million, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with $115 million and Neymar with $95 million. Between June 2021 and June 2023, Forbes classified over 58 percent of Messi’s earnings as “on-field”, meaning it came from “prize money, salary, and bonuses”.
The remaining $55 million in Messi’s estimated earnings came from licensing and sponsorship partnerships with companies like Socios, Adidas, Budweiser, and Pepsi. In August, Messi switched from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain. In the same month, Ronaldo returned to Manchester United from Juventus.
Ronaldo, who has more Instagram followers than anybody else on the planet, earned $55 million in “off-field” income last year, according to Forbes. Nike, Herbalife, and Clear shampoo are among the brands Ronaldo has sponsored.
Top 20 highest paid athletes 2023 in the world
Forbes’ top 20 list of the world’s highest paid athletes in 2023 included four basketballers, one tennis great, an NFL legend, and a boxing champion, with Neymar being the only other soccer player on the list.
Here we first discuss the top 10 highest paid athletes among the top 20 of the full list. Therefore, you can find below the list of the top 10 highest paid athletes in 2023:
| Name | Total earnings | “On-Field” | “Off-Field” | Age | Sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Lionel Messi |
$130m |
$75m |
$55m |
35 |
Soccer |
|
2. LeBron James |
$121.2m |
$41.2m |
$80m |
37 |
Basketball |
|
3. Cristiano Ronaldo |
$115m |
$60m |
$55m |
37 |
Soccer |
|
4. Neymar |
$95m |
$70m |
$25m |
30 |
Soccer |
|
5. Steph Curry |
$92.8m |
$45.8m |
$47m |
34 |
Basketball |
|
6. Kevin Durant |
$92.1m |
$42.1m |
$50m |
33 |
Basketball |
|
7. Roger Federer |
$90.7m |
$0.7m |
$90m |
40 |
Tennis |
|
8. Canelo Alvarez |
$90m |
$85m |
$5m |
31 |
Boxing |
|
9. Tom Brady |
$83.9m |
$31.9m |
$52m |
44 |
Football |
|
10. Giannis Antetokounmpo |
$80.9m |
$39.9m |
$41m |
27 |
Basketball |
Source: Forbes
1. Lionel Messi: $130 million
Personal Info
2. LeBron James: $121.2 million
Personal Info
3. Cristiano Ronaldo: $115 million
Athlete, Soccer
Ronaldo became the first individual in the world to reach 500 million Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter followers in February 2021. He had 690 million in May 2022. He eclipsed Brazilian great Pele’s goal tally in March 2021, scoring a hat trick against Serie A rival Cagliari to bring his total to 770 goals in all competitions. In August 2021, he switched teams from Juventus to Manchester United, where he had previously played from 2003 to 2009.
Ronaldo, a five-time FIFA player of the year, will be the first active team-sport athlete to earn more than $1 billion in his career in 2020. Ronaldo makes money off the field with his CR7-branded clothing, accessories, hotels, and gyms, in addition to a lifetime deal with Nike. With the latest achievements, Cristiano Ronaldo secures the third position among the top 10 highest paid athletes in 2023.
Personal Info
4. Neymar: $95 million
Personal Info
5. Stephen Curry: $92.8 million
Curry established SC30 in 2017 to oversee his investments, brand collaborations, and philanthropic endeavors. Under Armour announced the introduction of the Curry Brand in November 2020, in an attempt to compete with Nike’s Jordan Brand.
Personal Info
6. Kevin Durant: $92.1 million
Personal Info
7. Roger Federer: $90.7 million
Personal Info
8. Canelo Alvarez: $90 million
Personal Info
9. Tom Brady: $83.9 million
Athlete, NFL
Brady won his seventh Super Bowl after shocking the football world by leaving the Patriots for the Buccaneers in 2020. He announced his retirement in February 2022 after another stellar season in Tampa, but he changed his mind less than six weeks later. Brady cofounded Autograph, an NFT company that raised $170 million in a Series B funding round announced in January 2022, and launched the TB12 lifestyle brand.
In 2020, he founded 199 Productions, named after the number of his draft pick in the 2000 NFL draft, to create documentaries, films, and television shows. When it comes time for Brady to retire from football, he already has a lucrative job lined up as a Fox Sports commentator. Because of all of these achievements, Tom Brady becomes the 9th among the top 20 highest paid athletes in 2023 list.
Personal Info
10. Giannis Antetokounmpo: $80.9 million
Fans always are beside successful sportsmen, so they want to know more information about their careers. Here we add the name of Giannis Antetokounmpo who tops 10th in the ranking of highest paid athletes 2023 list. Antetokounmpo signed a five-year, $228 million supermax extension with the Bucks in December 2020, with an opt-out after the fourth year. Antetokounmpo was named NBA MVP in both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, as well as defensive player of the year in the latter. The first MVP nomination resulted in large bonuses from sponsors such as Nike, which extended its contract with the Greek Freak in 2017.
In 2019, Nike released the Zoom Freak 1, the largest initial signature shoe launch in Nike basketball history. In 2020, Disney signed a deal to produce a film based on Antetokounmpo’s life, similar to “The Blind Side,” which will be released in June 2022.
Personal Info
Have you ever wondered who the wealthiest athletes in 2023 or highest paid athletes in 2023 are? There is a huge wage difference between decent players and the best players of all time. It’ll almost certainly be bigger than you imagine.
What benefits do the world’s greatest athletes receive, and who are the highest paid athletes? This article describes who is the world’s highest paid athletes or highest paid athletes 2023 in the world or how much money the athletes made in 2023. Football players, boxers, golfers, NBA players, and so on.
11. Russell Westbrook: $79.2M
Athlete, NBA
A year after being traded to the Houston Rockets, Westbrook was moved to the Washington Wizards in December 2020. In August 2021, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Westbrook agreed to a five-year, $207 million deal extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder, which was at the time the NBA’s highest-ever total value contract.
In 2017, the nine-time All-Star signed a new ten-year contract with Nike’s Jordan brand, and in 2018, he earned his first signature sneaker. Westbrook has won two scoring titles and was awarded league MVP in 2017; he is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double in three consecutive seasons. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist owns ten vehicle dealerships in the Los Angeles area, which bring in millions of dollars. With all of these, Russell Westbrook gets the second position among the top 10 highest paid athletes in 2023.
If we see all of these achievements, Russel Westbrook is the 11th highest-paid athlete in 2023, according to a Forbes report.
Personal Statistics
Age: 33
Source of Wealth: Basketball
Self-Made Score: 28
Salary/Winnings: $44.2 M
Endorsements: $35 M
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Citizenship: United States
Marital Status: Married
Children: 3
Agent: Thad Foucher
Agency: Wasserman
Sponsors: Hennessy, Nike
Education: University of California, Los Angeles
12. James Harden: $74.4 Million
Athlete, NBA
In January 2021, Harden received his dream for a trade, joining the Brooklyn Nets from the Houston Rockets. In February 2022, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Harden inked a four-year agreement worth $171 million in 2017, which runs until 2022-23 and pays him $47 million in the final year. After signing him to a 13-year deal worth up to $200 million in 2015, Adidas made Harden one of the faces of its NBA campaign.
Harden earned the league MVP award in 2018 after finishing second three times in 2015, 2017, and 2019. When Coca-Cola bought Bodyarmor in the fall of 2021, he received a substantial payout because he had an equity investment in the company. He also bought modest ownership in the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer for $15 million in July 2019.
Personal Statistics
Age: 32
Source of Wealth: Basketball
Self-Made Score: 25
Salary/Winnings: $44.4 Million
Endorsements: $30 Million
Residence: Houston, Texas
Citizenship: United States
Sponsors: Adidas, Block Inc, BodyArmor, GoPuff, Pura, Therabody, Vanguard
Education: Arizona State University
13. Matthew Stafford: $72.3 Million
Athlete, NFL
After 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions, Stafford was transferred to the Los Angeles Rams in March 2021. He won his first Super Bowl right away. Stafford, the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft, set an NFL record by becoming the first quarterback to reach 3,000 career completions in the shortest amount of time (125 games). His five-year, $135 million contract, which he signed in 2017, was the most lucrative in NFL history (since exceeded). In March 2022, he signed a new four-year, $160 million contract with a $60 million signing bonus. Currently, Matthew Stafford secures the first position of the top 10 highest paid athletes in 2023.
Personal Statistics
Age: 34
Source of Wealth: Football
Salary/Winnings: $69.8 M
Endorsements: $2.5 Million
Residence: Detroit, Michigan
Citizenship: United States
Marital Status: Married
Agent: Tom Condon, Ira Stahlberger
Agency: Creative Artists Agency, WME
Sponsors: AT&T, Fanatics, Panini, Walt Disney
Education: University of Georgia
14. Aaron Rodgers: $68M
Athlete, NFL
Rodgers agreed to a modified contract and returned to the Green Bay Packers after a tumultuous off-season in 2021. In March 2022, he agreed to a three-year, $150 million deal. The famous quarterback bought a minority share in the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks in 2018.
In 2019, he and Roth Capital formed a $50 million venture and growth-stage fund. Along with Nate Raabe and Byron Roth, Rodgers is a general partner. Rodgers has ten Pro Bowl appearances and four MVP awards. Through the 2021 season, he ranks fifth all-time in passing touchdowns with 449. With all of these achievements, Aaron Rodgers ranks 14th among the top 20 highest paid athletes in the world.
Personal Statistics
Age: 38
Source of Wealth: Football
Salary/Winnings: $57 M
Endorsements: $11 M
Residence: Del Mar, California
Citizenship: United States
Marital Status: Single
Agent: David Dunn, Edward Berry, Jr.
Agency: CAA Sports
Sponsors: Adidas, Block Inc, Bose, Fanatics, Panini, State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance, TaylorMade, Zenith
Education: University of California, Berkeley
15. Tiger Woods: $68 Million
Athlete, PGA
In February 2021, Woods was involved in an automobile accident and suffered major leg and foot injuries. In April 2022, he returned to competitive golf at the Masters. With a deal in March 2021 to bring his likeness to the “PGA Tour 2K” video game franchise, Woods managed to win a victory from his hospital bed. From endorsements, appearances, course design fees, and other off-the-course pursuits, the 15-time major winner have made $1.7 billion since turning pro in 1996.
In 2019, TaylorMade and Woods unveiled their first set of co-designed irons. For Woods, it was his first signature club. Payne’s Valley, Woods’ first public golf course, will open in Missouri in 2020. Tiger Woods makes money off the field with his all of this hard work. So, we can easily say that Tiger Woods secures the 15th position among the top 20 highest paid athletes in 2023.
Personal Statistics
Age: 46
Source of Wealth: Golf
Salary/Winnings: $40,000
Endorsements: $68 Million
Residence: Jupiter Island, Florida
Citizenship: United States
Marital Status: Divorced
Children: 2
Agent: Mark Steinberg
Agency: Excel Sports Management
Sponsors: 2K Sports, Bridgestone, Centinel Spine, Full Swing, Hero Motocorp, Kowa Company Ltd., Monster Energy, Nike, Rolex, TaylorMade, Upper Deck
Education: Stanford University
16. Josh Allen: $67M
Athlete, NFL
In August 2021, the Buffalo Bills quarterback agreed to a six-year contract deal worth a total of $258 million, with $150 million in guaranteed money, which is an NFL record. A $16.5 million signing bonus and a $42.4 million option bonus were included in the deal.
Allen then led the Bills to their second straight division title and third consecutive postseason appearance. Nike, Pepsi, and New Era are among his sponsors off the field. With this achievement, Josh Allen tops the 4th position in the ranking of the top 20 highest-paid athletes 2023 Forbes list.
Personal Statistics
Age: 26
Source of Wealth: Football
Salary/Winnings: $63 Million
Endorsements: $4 Million
Citizenship: United States
Agent: Patrick Collins
Sponsors: Anheuser-Busch InBev, New Era, Nike, Panini, PepsiCo
17. Lewis Hamilton: $65 Million
Athlete, Auto Racing
In 2020, Lewis Hamilton won the Formula One drivers’ championship, tying Michael Schumacher’s record of seven titles. In 2021, he just missed another. He signed a two-year contract extension with Mercedes’ Formula One team in July 2021. Hamilton is the sport’s most marketable athlete. In 2018, the fashion-forward driver began collaborating with Tommy Hilfiger. Because of all of these achievements, Lewis Hamilton becomes the 17th among the top 20 highest-paid athletes in the 2023 list.
Personal Statistics
Age: 37
Source of Wealth: Auto Racing
Salary/Winnings: $57 Million
Endorsements: $8 Million
Residence: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Citizenship: United Kingdom
Marital Status: Single
Sponsors: Bose, Mercedes-Benz, Monster Energy, Police, Puma, Sony, Tommy Hilfiger, Vodafone-USD
18. Tyson Fury: $62 Million
Athlete, Boxing
In 33 professional fights, the two-time heavyweight world champion has never lost, with a draw against Deontay Wilder in 2018 being the lone blemish on his record. In the rematch in 2020, Fury knocked out Wilder and earned $26 million, bringing his 12-month earnings in the ring to $50 million.
From a rematch with Wilder in 2021 and a bout against Dillian Whyte in April 2022, the Brit made an estimated $60 million. Do you know that Fury was named after unbeaten boxer Mike Tyson when he was born in 1988? Not only that but also Tyson Fury has become one of the top 20 highest paid athletes in 2023 in the world.
Personal Statistics
Age: 33
Source of Wealth: Boxing
Salary/Winnings: $60 Million
Endorsements: $2 Million
Residence: Morecambe, United Kingdom
Citizenship: United Kingdom
Marital Status: Married
Children: 5
19. Naomi Osaka: $59.2 Million
Athlete, Tennis
With $60 million in earnings in the 12 months ending May 1, 2021, Naomi Osaka set a new record for female athletes. With $59.2 million the next year, she fell just short of that goal. She won a slew of lucrative sponsorship deals on her path to back-to-back Grand Slam victories at the 2020 U.S. Open and the 2021 Australian Open.
Her annual off-court earnings have surpassed $50 million, thanks to new sponsors such as Workday, Louis Vuitton, and Airbnb, bringing her total number of sponsors to 20. Osaka was pushed as one of the faces of the Tokyo Olympics after being born in Japan to a Japanese mother and a Haitian-American father. She was the first Japanese woman to win a Grand Slam tournament and the first Asian woman to reach the top of the singles rankings. And that’s why Naomi Osaka is one of the top 20 highest paid athletes in 2023 in the world.
Personal Statistics
Age: 24
Source of Wealth: Tennis
Salary/Winnings: $1.2 M
Endorsements: $58 M
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Citizenship: Japan
Agent: Stuart Duguid
Agency: WME-IMG
Sponsors: Airbnb, Beats Electronics, BodyArmor, FTX, GoDaddy, Hyperice, Levi Strauss & Co, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Mastercard, Morinaga & Company, Nike, Nissan Motor, Panasonic, Sweetgreen, Tag Heuer, Workday, Wowow Inc, Yonex
20. Damian Lillard: $57.4 million
Athlete, NBA
Lillard has a contract with the Portland Trail Blazers that runs through the 2024-25 season, with an average annual salary of almost $40 million. His Adidas signature shoe line is one of the best-selling in the NBA, with the Dame 8 being the most recent release in January 2022. Except for the first season, when he was voted rookie of the year, and 2021-22, when he only played 29 games, the six-time All-Star has led the Trail Blazers to the playoffs in every season of his career.
Under the moniker Dame D.O.L.L.A., Lillard has released four studio albums. He’s also a Special Olympics global ambassador. His song “Money Ball” was included on the soundtrack for “NBA 2K20”. This is the reason, Damian Lillard has achieved 20th ranking out of the world’s 20 top highest paid athletes in 2023.
Personal Statistics
Age: 31
Source of Wealth: Basketball
Salary/Winnings: $39.4 Million
Endorsements: $18 Million
Residence: Lake Oswego, Oregon
Citizenship: United States
Marital Status: Engaged
Children: 3
Agent: Aaron Goodwin
Agency: Goodwin Sports Management
Sponsors: 2K Sports, Adidas, AT&T, Gatorade, Hulu, McDonald’s, Moda Health, Oakley, Spalding, Tissot, Toyota Motor
Education: Bachelor of Arts/Science, Weber State University
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on highest-paid athletes 2023 in the World
Do the highest-paid athletes earn a lot of money?
A large sum of money is a euphemism for a large sum of money. It depends on how you define “a lot.” A typical athlete’s annual salary can be as high as $100,000. Some, on the other hand, earn substantially more, up to $1 million or more each year.
How do athletes make money?
You should know athletes get money in a variety of ways, some of which are not government-sponsored. That’s why we bring for you the list of highest paid athletes in 2023 or the highest paid athletes in the world.
- Corporate sponsorships
- Sponsorship offers
- Government
Before we get into the specifics of these concerns, it’s vital to understand that athletes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are people who have achieved the height of their careers, those who are unpopular, and people who are just getting started.
These sponsorships and collaborations are mostly given to people who have reached the height of their careers. Then, perhaps, the unpopular must continue to train hard in order to reach the pinnacle of their professions, win medals, or be included on the government’s list of top athletes eligible for annual stipends.
Some sportsmen can earn as little as $16.00-$22,000 per year, while others can earn as much as $1.0000.0000 per year, depending on their celebrity. The amount these athletes receive is determined by their country’s government.
Do you think these sums are substantial?
Many people ask how much these athletes earn because they are apparently highly compensated for their preparation and receive a substantial sum of money as a monetary prize when competing.
They, however, make a lot of money.
Apart from this, if you are interested, you can also read Entertainment, Numerology, Tech, and Health-related articles here: My5 TV Activate, Kissmanga, WPC18, WPC16, Highest Paid CEO 2022, Grey’s Anatomy Season 19, WPC15, Alexa.com Alternatives, The Resident Season 6, Kraven The Hunter, One Punch Man season 3, The Resident Season 5, Yellowstone season 5, Ozark season 4 part 2, PUBG Redeem Code, Is Windows 11 Free, KProxy, How to play Xbox Games on PC, Ozark Season 5, How to cancel YouTube TV, Churchill Car insurance, The Rookie Season 5, Downloadhub, Ssr Movies, 7starhd, Movieswood, How to Remove Bookmarks on Mac, Outer Banks Season 4, How to block a website on Chrome, How to watch NFL games for free, DesireMovies, How to watch NFL games without cable, How to unlock iPhone, How to cancel ESPN+, How to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10, Outer Banks Season 3,
6streams, 4Anime, Moviesflix, 123MKV, MasterAnime, Buffstreams, GoMovies, VIPLeague, How to Play Music in Discord, Vampires Diaries Season 9, Homeland Season 9, Brent Rivera Net Worth, PDFDrive, SmallPDF, Squid Game Season 2, Knightfall Season 3, Crackstream, Kung Fu Panda 4, 1616 Angel Number, 333 Angel Number, 666 Angel Number, 777 Angel Number, 444 angel number, Bruno Mars net worth, KissAnime, Jim Carrey net worth, Bollyshare, Afdah, Prabhas Wife Name, Project Free TV, Kissasian, Mangago, Kickassanime, Moviezwap, Jio Rockers, Dramacool, M4uHD, Hip Dips, M4ufree, Fiverr English Test Answers, NBAstreamsXYZ, Highest Paid CEO, The 100 season 8, and F95Zone.
Thanks for your time. Keep reading!
To Read Our Exclusive Content, Sign up Now.
$5/Monthly, $50/Yearly
