Source: Statista

Barcelona and Argentina soccer superstar Lionel Messi was the highest earning athlete in the world over the last twelve months. His $92 million salary and winnings combined with $35 million from endorsements to give him a grand total of $127 million Forbes. In fact, the top three this year is dominated by soccer players, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar netting totals of $109 million and $105 million respectively. Overall though, it is basketball players that account for the largest share of the top 100 earnings – $972 million, compared to $704 million for American football and $457 million for soccer.