As per a list released by Forbes, these are the highest-paid athletes in the world in 2021

On May 12, 2021, famous media outlet Forbes released a list of the world’s highest-paid athletes. The outlet considered the amount of money received by the players from various endorsements, bonuses and other amounts such as salaries from the club and national teams in the last 12 months.

It’s surprising to note that even though the world faced a severe financial crisis because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, these major names from various sports made tons of money.

Conor McGregor- The 32-year-old MMA fighter from the country of Ireland needs no introduction. Inside the fighting cage, McGregor is an absolute beast and a legend of the modern-day combat fighting sport. From MMA, McGregor received only a minor amount of 22 million dollars. However, his actual income came from the sale of his whisky brand known as Proper No. Twelve, along with several other side businesses. McGregor earned 158 million dollars which is why he holds the top spot. In total, he earned 180 million dollars.

Lionel Messi- The greatest of all time, Argentina’s little maestro Lionel Messi secured the second position with a total of 130 million dollars earned in the last 12 months. By playing football, the legendary player made 97 million dollars. The rest of the 33 million dollars came from various businesses and endorsements from companies such as Adidas and Ginny Hilfiger to name a few.

Cristiano Ronaldo- Another top name from football, the 36-year-old Portuguese player who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus secured the third position with 120 million dollars. His 70 million dollars came by playing football whereas the rest of the 50 million dollars came from various businesses such as CR7 clothes brand, hotels, gyms and accessories.

Dak Prescott- This name may not ring any bells because Dak Prescott is an American football (rugby) player who plays for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. Dak Prescott earned 107.5 million dollars out of which, 10 million dollars came from endorsements and businesses. Recently, the famous quarterback purchased four locations of the restaurant franchise Walk-On’s in Texas.

LeBron James- Basketball star LeBron James is the fifth on the list with 96.5 million dollars earned in the last 12 months. The 36-year-old LA Lakers player from the United States of America earned 31.5 million dollars from basketball. The remaining 65 million dollars were earned from movies, endorsements and investments.