#20 James Harden. The Houston Rockets basketball star had earnings of $47.7m last year, according to Forbes.
#20 James Harden. The Houston Rockets basketball star had earnings of $47.7m last year, according to Forbes.
#19 Phil Mickelson. The left-handed American golfer had earnings of $48.4m. Of that sum, $12.4m was in prize money, and $36m in endorsements.
#19 Phil Mickelson. The left-handed American golfer had earnings of $48.4m. Of that sum, $12.4m was in prize money, and $36m in endorsements.
=#17 Mike Trout. The Los Angeles Angels baseball player earned $50.6m.
=#17 Mike Trout. The Los Angeles Angels baseball player earned $50.6m.
=#17 Novak Djokovic. The tennis superstar earned $50.6m.
=#17 Novak Djokovic. The tennis superstar earned $50.6m.
#16 Russell Westbrook. The Houston Rockets star had earnings of $53.7m.
#16 Russell Westbrook. The Houston Rockets star had earnings of $53.7m.
=#13 Lewis Hamilton, the Formula One world champion has earnings of $55m.
=#13 Lewis Hamilton, the Formula One world champion has earnings of $55m.
=#13 Khalil Mack. Outside lineback for the Chicago Bears, $55m.
=#13 Khalil Mack. Outside lineback for the Chicago Bears, $55m.
=#13 Anthony Joshua. The British boxer earned $55m.
=#13 Anthony Joshua. The British boxer earned $55m.
#12 Ben Roethlisberger, The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback had earnings of $55.5m.
#12 Ben Roethlisberger, The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback had earnings of $55.5m.
#11 Tiger Woods. The American golfer had earnings of $63.9m. Of that $9.9m was in prize money, and £54m in endorsements.
#11 Tiger Woods. The American golfer had earnings of $63.9m. Of that $9.9m was in prize money, and £54m in endorsements.
#10 Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets star. $65.4m.
#10 Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets star. $65.4m.
#9 Stephen Curry, of the Golden State Warriors, $79.8m.
#9 Stephen Curry, of the Golden State Warriors, $79.8m.
#8 LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers basketball star earned $89m.
#8 LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers basketball star earned $89m.
#7 Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for Green Bay Packers, had earnings of $89.3m.
#7 Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for Green Bay Packers, had earnings of $89.3m.
#6 Russell Wilson. The Seattle Seahawks quarterback had an income of $89.5m.
#6 Russell Wilson. The Seattle Seahawks quarterback had an income of $89.5m.
#5 Roger Federer. The Swiss tennis legend had an income of $93.4m. Only $7.4m was in prize money, and the remaining $86m in endorsements.
#5 Roger Federer. The Swiss tennis legend had an income of $93.4m. Only $7.4m was in prize money, and the remaining $86m in endorsements.
#4 Canelo Alvarez. The Mexican boxer, a four-division world champion, brought in $94m.
#4 Canelo Alvarez. The Mexican boxer, a four-division world champion, brought in $94m.
#3 Neymar. The PSG star earned $105m.
#3 Neymar. The PSG star earned $105m.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo. Juventus and Portugal, earnings of $109m.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo. Juventus and Portugal, earnings of $109m.
#1 Lionel Messi. The Barcelona star topped the money rankings for last year according to Forbes, with earnings of $127 million, of which $92m was salary and a further $35m in endorsements.
#1 Lionel Messi. The Barcelona star topped the money rankings for last year according to Forbes, with earnings of $127 million, of which $92m was salary and a further $35m in endorsements.

Other Sport

As the world's top sports stars wait for the action to resume, here's what the top 20 earned last year - in pictures

The biggest earners over the last 12 months - and we can't wait to see them perform again

Dominic Hart

April 16, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

With coronavirus wreaking havoc on events around the world, sports stars have been frustrated, along with millions of fans.

The action might have come to a standstill, leaving them kicking their heels, doing their best to keep fit, and waiting for the crisis to pass so they can get back to what they do best.

Sport is all about achievement, the glory of winning and getting the better of opponents whether as an individual or as part of a team.

But there is no denying the best performers get well rewarded for their efforts.

Many have donated to the coronavirus cause - Lionel Messi, Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo - to name a few, from their vast funds.

These are the 20 best paid sports people in the planet, and Forbes compiled a list of their earnings in prize money and endorsements over 2019.

To see who earned the most, in reverse order, swipe the pictures.

The Forbes listings show just how much the top twenty athletes in the world earned last year. Here they are in reverse order. To see the next picture, just swipe.

ICC T20 Team of 2021

Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi

While you're here
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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Champions parade (UAE timings)

7pm Gates open

8pm Deansgate stage showing starts

9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral

9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street

10pm City players on stage

11pm event ends

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

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