Sports

Barcelona Star, Lionel Messi Now Highest Paid Sports Person!

Published

7 years ago

July 5, 2017

Soccer megastar Lionel Messi is expected to sign his new contract worth $33.6m deal with Barcelona FC, which will see Messi earn about $646,000 a week.

The new contract will run till 2021 and it puts Messi on top as biggest earner in all sports. NBA star LeBron James, for example, signed a multi-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers last year, earning $31 million last season as he led his team to the championship. James will earn $33.28 million — just under Messi’s salary— from the Cavaliers in the 2017-18 season.

As for the NFL, Tom Brady’s two-year contract with the New England Patriots includes $20.5 million a year, which trails Messi’s. But Brady did also get a $28 million signing bonus.

In the tennis world, Roger Federer earned $6 million in winnings last year, according to Forbes. (Federer doesn’t have a team contract like Messi, James and Brady do.)

Of course, each of these players is at the top of their respective sports, earning millions more each year through endorsement deals and sponsorships.

In Messi’s case, he earned another $27 million last year through sponsorships, according to Forbes.

Since debuting with the club in 2004, Messi has led the team to numerous titles and championships, including four Champions League wins, eight La Liga titles, five Copa del Ray championships and seven Spanish Super Cups, among others. Individually, Messi has won the Ballon d’Or prize, which is given to the world’s best men’s player, five times.

Messi, who turned 30 last month, has scored a club record 507 goals in 583 matches.

“The Club is very happy with both the renewal and the commitment of Messi, the best player in history, who has played his full professional career at Barça and has led the team to an era of extraordinary success, the likes of which has never been seen in world football,” the team wrote in a statement on Messi’s new contract.