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These Are the 25 Highest Paid Athletes

If you have ever found yourself wondering just how much money your favorite athlete earns while you’re watching your favorite sport, you’ve come to the right place. Check out our list of the top 25 highest paid athletes from various sports to see if your favorites have made the cut.

Who Is The Highest Paid Athlete?

This should be of little surprise to anyone. It’s Floyd Mayweather, and he has earned $700 million over his career. Who said boxing is dead?

Now that that’s out of the way, we’ve got all the rest of the highest paid athletes in the World.

Darrelle Revis, 31

Total Earnings: $118.2 million

Cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League, drafted in 2007. After 3 years, he was considered as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. He signed a five-year, $70 million contract with $39 million guaranteed on March 10, 2015. But on the 28th of February this year,  it was announced that he will be released effective March 9th, 2017.

Jay Cutler, 33

Total Earnings: $112.2 million

American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears, Jay Christopher Cutler was ranked third-best quarterback prospect in the 2006 NFL Draft. He started his career with  the Denver Broncos in 2006, but was traded in 2009 as a fifth-round draft pick to the Chicago Bears for quarterback Kyle Orton.

Joe Thomas, 32

Total Earning: $108.4 million

Joseph Hayden Thomas was born in Brookfield, WI and is currently playing with Cleveland Browns. His first sport was shot put and discus throw where he had some record-breaking performances. His career in the NFL started in 2007 where he signed a six-year contract worth $43 million, with $23 million guaranteed- including a voidable year- with the Browns. In 2016, he was named to his 10th straight Pro Bowl.

Champ Bailey, 38

Total Earnings: $102.8 million

From Folkston, Georgia,  his NFL career started with the Washingon Redskins, where he signed a 5-year, $12 million contract including a $2 million signing bonus. In April of 2014, he signed a $7 million contract with the New Orleans Saints, but failed to make the final roster and was released on August 30, 2014. In November of the same year, it was announced that he signed a one-day contract with Denver to allow him to officially retire as a Bronco.

Dwight Freeney,  37

Total Earnings: $97 million

The 37-year old American football defensive from Hartford, Connecticut plays for the Atlanta Falcons as a defensive end. He started his career with the Indianapolis Colts (2002-2012). He ultimately played in 15 games, totaling in three sacks, where he had his 3rd Super bowl career.

Rory McIlroy, 27

Total Earning: $42.6 million

Rory was introduced to golf at a very young age by his father who acted as his coach. As early as 2004 he was already joining competitions. In 2005 McIlroy became the youngest-ever winner of both the West of Ireland Championship and the Irish Close Championship. His professional career started in 2007 when he became the youngest Affiliate Member in the history of The European Tour to earn a tour card. In May of 2016, McIlroy claimed his first victory of the year at the Irish Open.

Russell Wilson, 28

Total Earnings: $41.8 Million

From Cincinnati, Ohio, Russell is the American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. He led the Seahawks to their first ever Super Bowl victory, and in 2014, led them to a second straight Super Bowl. In 2015, he was the second highest paid player in the NFL after he signed a four-year, $87.6 million contract extension with the Seahawks.

Cristiano Ronaldo, 32

Total Earnings: $88 million

At the age of 18, Ronaldo made his international debut for Portugal in 2003. He made his own road to success as the first Portuguese player to reach 50 international goals, and also became Real Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer. Aside from being an athlete, he is also a fashion icon; he opened his first fashion boutique under the name “CR7” (his initials and shirt number). He co-designed a range of underwear and sock lines and later launched his own lines of premium shirts, shoes and fragrances.

Lionel Messi, 29

Total Earnings: $81.4 million

Lionel Andrés “Leo” Messi from Argentina plays  forward for the Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He was also named the world’s highest-paid footballer for five years out of six between 2009 and 2014. They have always denied any rivalry, but Messi and Ronaldo had always been compared and contrasted in terms of  salary, sponsorships, and social media fanbase. But many believe that they push each other to be the best player every time.

Lebron James, 32

Total Earnings: $77.2 million

James has won three NBA championships since he started his career as an  American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  In 2010, he left the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat and played four seasons. He soon opted out of his contract to reunite with the Cavaliers, which in turn led them to win against the Golden State Warriors and earn them a championship that ended the fifty-two year professional sports title drought.

Sebastian Vettel, 29

Total Earning: $41 million

German racing driver from Heppenheim, Germany, Vettel is currently driving Scuderia Ferrari. The four-time Formula One World Champion started with Red Bull in 2009 and left in 2014 to start his career with Ferrari for 2015. He is also in fourth place among all time race winners. His passion for racing started from kart driving in 1995. Having shown early talent and skills, he was accepted in the Red Bull Junior Team and from then on  kept winning titles and awards.

Roger Federer, 35

Total Earnings: $67.8 million

Roger Federer is considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time. The Swiss player has shown his dominance on court with 88 career ATP titles and 17 Grand Slam titles. He founded the Roger Federer Foundation in 2003, which is dedicated to providing an education to children living in Africa and Switzerland.

Kevin Durant, 28

Total Earnings: $56.2 million

Kevin Wayne Durant is an American professional basketball player for the GSW of the NBA. Durant has won four NBA scoring titles, an NBA MVP Award, the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, and two Olympic gold medals.

Phil Mickelson, 46

Total Earnings: $52.9

Phil Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won 42 events on the PGA tour, which includes 5  major championships. Other titles include 3 Masters titles, a PGA championship and an Open championship.

Gareth Bale, 27

Total Earning: $35.9 million

Gareth Frank Bale  is a Welsh professional footballer who plays  for Real Madrid and the Wales national football team. Bale has received compliments from his peers, who have deemed him as a footballer with “tremendous speed, great crossing ability, a great left foot and exceptional physical qualities.”

Neymar, 25

Total Earning: $37.5 Million

Neymar da Silva Santos Jr. aka Neymar or Neymar Jr., is a professional footballer based in Brazil who plays for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Brazil National team as  a forward. Neymar became popular in the football scene at age 17.

Michael Vick, 36

Total Earning: $121.2 million

Michael Dwayne Vick is a retired American football quarterback  who played 13 seasons in the National Football league with the teams Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles.  He set the record for the most career rushing yards by a quarterback and the most rushing yards by a quarterback in a season.

Rafael Nadal, 30

Total Earning: $37.5 Million

Rafael “Rafa” Nadal Parera, a Spanish professional tennis player, has been widely regarded as the greatest clay-court player — so much so that he was called “The King of Clay.”

Kobe Bryant, 38

Total Earnings: $50 million

Kobe Bean Bryant  is a retired American professional basketball player. As a shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won multiple championships.

Fernando Alonso, 29

Total Earnings:$36.5 million

Fernando Alonso Diaz, a Spanish Formula One racer, started his racing career as early as three years old through karting. He has been regarded as one of the best Formula One drivers. He was also the youngest driver to ever win a pole position two Grand Prix: the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix and the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Tony Romo, 36

Total Earnings: $127.4 million

Antonio Ramiro Romo is a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. He played for Eastern Illinois University. He won the Walter Payton Award in 2002 at Eastern Illinois, and in 2001, paved the way for the Panthers football team to win in an Ohio Valley Conference championship.

Tiger Woods, 41

Total Earning: $54.3 million

Eldrick Tont Woods is an American professional golfer and the most successful of all time in the golfing field. Before Woods turned pro in 1996 and immediately started winning on the professional level, he had already earned 6 straight USGA titles as an amateur.

Matthew Thomas Ryan, 31

Total Earnngs: $133.7 million

Matthew Thomas Ryan, also known as Matty Ice, is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL. He played college football at Boston College and was soon drafted by the Falcons in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Tom Brady, 39

Total Earnings: $44.1 million

Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League.

Floyd Mayweather, 40

Total Earnings: $700 million

Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2015, with 49 wins and 0 losses. he is currently working as a boxing promoter.

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