Lionel Messi, LeBron James Top World’s 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2026 List

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It’s that time of the year again when Forbes releases its annual World’s Highest-Paid Athletes list.

This year, Conor McGregor dropped out of the top 10, but a number of very familiar names remained near the top of the list, including soccer star Lionel Messi who earned the top spot.

Messi earned $75 million on the field during his time with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain — which won him the 2021 Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best soccer player — while bringing in $55 million thanks to endorsements from companies like Adidas, Budweiser, and Pepsi. His total earnings were $130 million.

Trailing right behind Messi was none other than LeBron James with $121.1 million, with most of his money coming from off-court ventures like the new Space Jam movie.

Other familiar faces included Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Roger Federer, and Canelo Alvarez.

Who else cracked the top 10?

A full look at the top 10 highest-paid athletes in the world for 2022 can be seen by clicking the link below.

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