Due to the current state of the pandemic, the sporting world is in a standstill. A lot of sporting events have been canceled due to the virus. However, the fact is that they still are going to get paid games or no games. Here are the 5 highest-paid athletes this 2020.
Lebron James ($88.2 million)
Dubbed as the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) for his generation, Lebron James sits at the top 5 spots of our highest-paid athletes. His earnings could be divided into two parts: Salary and Endorsements. For his salary, Lebron has earned $28.2 million playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. The majority of his earnings could be attributed to his endorsement deals. He is reported to have earned $60 million from endorsements.
Aside from being an athlete, Lebron is also an entrepreneur. He has his own media company (Uninterrupted) and production company (SpringHill Entertainment). He also has a lifetime deal with Nike that’s valued at $1 billion.
Neymar ($95.5 million)
Contrary to our previous entry, the majority of Neymar’s earnings came from playing. He has earned $70.5 million from playing for Paris Saint-Germain. He is on a five-year contract with PSG that stands at $350 million until June 2022.
Aside from playing, he also has a fair share of endorsement deals. In 2016, Jordan brand signed Neymar as its first soccer ambassador. He is sponsored by Electronic Arts, Nike, Red Bull, and other big companies.
Lionel Messi ($104 million)
Another soccer athlete in our list. Lionel Messi has earned 70% of his earnings from playing soccer. His contract with Barcelona runs until 2020-2021 which pays him $80 million annually. Oh, and he also has a lifetime deal with Adidas
Cristiano Ronaldo ($105 million)
Just $1 million more than our previous entry, we have Cristiano Ronaldo. The ratio between his earnings from playing and endorsements are almost close to each other. The Portuguese striker has earned $60 million from playing and $45 million from endorsements. He joined Juventus in 2018 for $64 million annually, taking a pay cut in the process.
In 2016, he also signed a lifetime deal with Nike. The contract was estimated to be worth $1 billion.
Roger Federer ($106.3 million)
Roger Federer broke the competition as the highest-paid athlete for 2020 due to his endorsement deals. Federer earned a staggering $100 million from endorsement deals. Yes, you read that right. He earned just $6.3 million from his career as a tennis player.
The biggest endorsement he has in his trophy case would be Uniqlo. In 2018, he signed a 10-year contract with the Japanese apparel company for $300 million.
(This article is based on Forbes’ Top 100. The figures in the article are accurate as of the first half of 2020)
Yes, the list is dominated by soccer stars. If you want more sports and money-related articles, read here about the most valuable sports franchises of all time.
Opinions expressed by AsianBlurb contributors are their own.
Katelyn Dethridge is an independent writer and author based in London. She has previously wrote for the Entrepreneurial Inquirer and EWQ News.
