Get Rid Of McGregor, Messi Confirms Himself To Be The Highest-paid Athlete: His Value Is More Than Rp. 1.9 Trillion

Lionel Messi (Instagram @leomessi)

JAKARTA - Lionel Messi has again established himself as the highest-paid athlete in the world. The Argentine international got rid of UFC star Conor McGregor.

In the latest list released by Forbes, the Paris Saint-Germain player beat NBA basketball player LeBron James in second and his rival Cristiano Ronaldo trailing in third.

The list ranks athletes by their earnings in the past year. Messi occupies the top spot thanks to his earnings at PSG and off the pitch as well.

The former Barcelona superstar earned $75 million (Rp1.1 trillion) from football and 55 million (Rp807 billion) from sponsorships and endorsements. The total wealth was calculated over the 12-month period ending May 1, 2022.

Meanwhile, whiskey sales that had catapulted McGregor's name to the top spot in 2021, are nowhere to be seen this year. The Irish fighter isn't even in the top ten.

LeBron James, who came in second, earned $121 million (Rp1.7 trillion). Meanwhile, Ronaldo collected a total of 115 million dollars, equivalent to Rp. 1.6 trillion.

Neymar Junior followed the three names in fourth place, with three-time NBA champion Stephen Curry rounding out the top five. Kevin Durant is sixth, while Giannis Antetokounmpo is 10th.

Other athletes on the list include veteran Swiss tennis player Roger Federer (seventh), boxer Saul Alvarez (eighth) and NFL star Tom Brady who finished ninth.