Updated List of Highest Paid Athletes of 2021

The top ten athletes in the world have generated pretax gross income of $ 1.05 billion in the past 12 months, up 28% from the top athletes last year.

Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor topped the rating this year. The American edition of Forbes estimated his income over the past year at $ 180 million.

Until now, McGregor has been included in the Forbes rating only once - in 2018 he took fourth place in it with an income of $ 99 million. He received most of this amount for the lost fight with Floyd Mayweather.

In second place in the rating was the footballer of the Spanish FC "Barcelona" Lionel Messi. His annual income was $ 130 million. Of these, Messi received $ 97 million for his work at the club, $ 33 million - thanks to a lifetime contract with Adidas and other advertising deals.

The three highest paid athletes in the world also included the forward of the Turin "Juventus" Cristiano Ronaldo. His income was $ 120 million, of which $ 50 million came from advertising deals and other work outside the football field. The 36-year-old has a $ 64 million a year contract with Juventus that expires in 2022, a lifetime sponsorship deal with Nike and his own business of branded apparel, accessories, hotels and gyms.

The annual income of another athlete - American football star Duck Prescott - exceeded $ 100 million. The Dallas Cowboys player (the most expensive sports club in the world, Forbes estimated it at $ 5.7 billion) earned $ 107.5 million in a year. More with the new rating you can be found here