Top 10 Highest Paid Athletes in 2021 by Forbes

1. Conor McGregor

Sport: MixedMartialArts

Total Earning: $180M

McGregor's loss to Dustin Poirier in January 2021 was only his third UFC fight since 2016, but he remains mixed martial arts' biggest star. He banked an estimated $22 million for the Poirier fight and more than $30 million for his previous fight, a knockout of Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. McGregor founded Irish whiskey distiller Proper No. Twelve in 2018, and the brand is now available in eight countries, including the U.S. He sold his majority stake in Proper No. Twelve to Proximo Spirits for $150 million in April 2021.

2. Lionel Messi

Sport: Soccer

Total Earning: $130M

Messi has claimed FIFA's player of the year award and the European Golden Shoe for top scorer on the continent six times, a record for each award. A contract leak in January 2021 showed Messi was making much more at FC Barcelona than previously thought; the deal was set to expire in June 2021. The leaked contract showed Messi could earn up to $165 million annually in salary and incentives and an unmatched figure in team sports. He launched his own clothing line and opened his first retail outlet, the Messi Store, in 2019 in Barcelona. He also has a lifelong deal with Adidas.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo

Sport: Soccer

Total Earning: $120M

In February 2021, Ronaldo became the first person to reach 500 million followers across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. In March 2021, he passed Brazilian legend Pele's goal tally; a hat trick against Serie A foe Cagliari pushed him up to 770 goals in all competitions. His four-year contract with Juventus is worth an average of $64 million a year and expires in 2022. Ronaldo, a five-time FIFA player of the year, in 2020 became the first active team-sport athlete to surpass $1 billion in career earnings. In addition to a lifetime deal with Nike, Ronaldo makes money off the pitch with his CR7-branded clothing, accessories, hotels, and gyms.

4. Dak Prescott

Sport: Football

Total Earning: $107.5

Prescott signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension with the Cowboys in March 2021 that came with a $66 million signing bonus. His $107.5 million in total earnings for the 12 months through April 2021 sets a record for NFL players. In May 2021, the star quarterback announced an investment in Texas's four Walk-On casual dining restaurants.

5. LeBron James

Sport: Basketball

Total Earning: $96.5M

Four-time NBA MVP LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018 with a four-year, $153 million contract. He has the NBA's top endorsement portfolio and his own production company (SpringHill Entertainment) and media company (Uninterrupted). James teamed up with Cindy Crawford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Lindsey Vonn in 2018 to launch Ladder, a health and wellness company. The LeBron James Family Foundation opened its first elementary school in 2018 and planned to spend $41 million to send kids to college.

6. Neymar

Sport: Soccer

Total Earning: $95M

In May 2021, Neymar signed a contract extension that ties him to Paris Saint-Germain until summer 2025. His new contract is packed with performance bonuses, including a massive bump if PSG wins the Champions League. His transfer from Barcelona to PSG stands as the most expensive globally at $263 million, which the French club paid in full ahead of his signing. In 2020, Neymar announced an early exit from his contract with Nike's Jordan Brand and signed with Puma. In 2021, Epic Games announced that Neymar, an avid video gamer, would join the cast of "Fortnite" with an in-game skin.

7. Roger Federer

Sport: Tennis

Total Earning: $90M

Federer has a sponsor portfolio that is unmatched in the sports world. In 2020, that made him the world's highest-paid athlete for the first time. The biggest prize in his stable is Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo, which locked him up in 2018 under a ten-year, $300 million deal. Federer has won $130 million in prize money in his career, but the total is dwarfed by his off-court earnings from appearances and endorsements. The tennis legend's biggest payday yet may come from his stake in Swiss athletic apparel company On, reportedly eyeing an autumn 2021 IPO.

8. Lewis Hamilton

Sport: AutoRacing

Total Earning: $82M

Lewis Hamilton won the Formula 1 title in 2020, equaling Michael Schumacher's record of seven championships. In February 2021, he signed a one-year contract extension to remain with Mercedes' F1 team. Hamilton is the most marketable driver in the sport. The fashion-conscious driver started working with Tommy Hilfiger in 2018.

9. Tom Brady

Sport: Football

Total Earning: $76M

After shocking the football world by leaving the Patriots for the Buccaneers in 2020, Brady promptly won his seventh Super Bowl. In March 2021, he signed a contract extension with Tampa Bay. Brady has focused on his TB12 lifestyle brand in recent years. He is also launching Autograph, an NFT company. In 2020, he launched 199 Productions, a nod to the number of his selection in the 2000 NFL draft, to develop documentaries, films, and TV shows.

10. Kevin Durant

Sport: Football

Total Earning: $75M

After three years with the Golden State Warriors, Durant joined the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 under a four-year, $164 million contract. Durant was sidelined for the 2019-20 season after an Achilles injury in the 2019 NBA finals. He returned with an All-Star performance in 2020-21. The 11-time All-Star banks over $40 million from sponsors, but he's also invested in more than 40 companies, including Postmates and Acorns. Durant was a producer on "Two Distant Strangers," which took home the Oscar for best live-action short film in 2021.