F1, Football: Who features in the top 50 highest-paid athletes of all time?
Ronaldo tops football, Schumacher leads F1 in all-time earnings list.
Four athletes from each of football and Formula One feature in the latest top 50 highest-paid athletes of all time.
Sportico, a business of sport publication, analysed athletes’ earnings (salaries, bonuses, endorsements, equity payouts, and more) based on expert insights, research, and sources like Forbes, with all figures adjusted for inflation through 2024.
The Asterisk takes a look at the footballers and Formula One drivers who made the list.
Football: Ronaldo, Messi, Beckham in top 10
Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Beckham all featured in the top 10.
Ronaldo is the highest-paid footballer, banking £1.6 billion and ranking third on the all-time list.
The Portuguese star is nearly half a billion short of legendary golfer Tiger Woods (second) in inflation-adjusted earnings, but only around £60 million behind on non-adjusted figures.
Ronaldo is reportedly earning a staggering £169m per year at Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.
At £1.4b, World Cup winner Messi is next (5th overall). The Argentine joined Inter Miami in 2023, earning a base salary of £9m and £15.2m in total compensation.
Messi has earned more than the entire payrolls of most Major League Soccer (MLS) teams. His arrival boosted Inter Miami’s valuation to £889m, according to Sportico.
Football icon David Beckham, co-owner of Inter Miami, is the third-highest-paid footballer and ranks 8th on the all-time list with £1.2b. Although Beckham retired in 2013, the majority of his earnings have come post-retirement.
A step down from the billionaire boys’ club, Neymar rounds out the footballers with nearly £900m.
The Brazilian returned to Santos after a stint with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, where he reportedly signed a contract worth over £110m a year.
Ferrari drivers represent Formula One
All Formula One drivers on the list share a common thread: Scuderia Ferrari.
Michael Schumacher leads the Formula One grid in earnings. The seven-time world champion ranks 12th overall, with just over £1b.
The seven-time world champion has been out of the public eye since a 2013 skiing accident, and details of his condition remain private.
Sir Lewis Hamilton follows closely. The British driver, who equalled Schumacher’s seven-title record in 2020, has earned £724 million over his career.
Having recently signed a lucrative deal with Ferrari, Hamilton could eventually surpass Schumacher’s earnings.
Veteran and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso is tied at 33 with tennis great Novak Djokovic on £515m. However, non-adjusted figures place Djokovic ahead by £26m.
Finland’s Kimi Räikkönen comes in at 47th with £440m. The 'Iceman' won a world championship with Ferrari in 2007 and retired in 2021 with Alfa Romeo Racing.
The full Top 50 Highest-Paid Athletes of All Time can be viewed here. Figures were originally in US dollars and have been converted to British pounds for this piece.
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