Argentina – Arguably the generation’s top footballer, Barcelona and Argentina captain Leonel Messi moves to the sports world’s richest, $1Bn club, earning $1 billion in his luxurious sports career.
Messi became the second football player to be enrolled in this list, as Cristiano Ronaldo did earlier this year making him the first footballer to reach this ultimate goal.
After contract talks and hassle to leave the club, Barcelona refused to give up Messi for a penny less than his release clause, 700m, Messi gave up his move to change clubs. But in the end Barcelona had to pay him a loyalty bonus which added to $126 million this year. This included Messi’s salary and other endorsements, according to Forbes.
With this amount of earning Messi became the year’s top paid footballer. Even Cristiano couldn’t catcch up to him, earning $117 million from his club, Juventus.
In the world of football, PSG superstars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe filled the positions of 3rd and 4th highest earning footballers of the world while Mohamed Salah, who helped Liverpool to claim their first league title in over 30 years sits at the fifth of the list.
Only 4 athletes in the world of sport has been in the 1 billion club. Floyd Mayweather, the glorified undefeated boxer and Tiger Woods, the world’s number one golfer are the other two athletes who has earned over a billion dollars during their sporting careers.
