On Wednesday, Forbes unveiled its annual rankings for the highest-paid athletes in the world. Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest names in soccer earned the top spot.
Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi claimed the top spot for the 2022 edition of Forbes’ list. He earned roughly $130 million over the past 12 months.
Coming in at No. 2 on the list is Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. He made $121.2 million over the past year, according to Forbes. His previous record was $96.5 million.
Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo closed out the top three, which shouldn’t surprise anyone because he remains an international star.
Here’s the full top 10 from Forbes:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was the only NFL player to crack the top 10. It was recently announced that he signed a 10-year, $375 million deal with FOX Sports, so there’s no question he’ll remain wealthy once his playing days are over.
The last player in the top 10 is Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. He was the fourth NBA player on the list, earning $81 million over a 12-month span.
There might be a few changes to Forbes’ top 10 for 2023, but marquee names like Messi and Ronaldo should remain toward the top for at least another year or two.
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