DURBAN - Lionel Messi is the Highest Paid Athlete for 2019 according to Forbes list of The World's Highest-Paid Athletes that was released earlier this year.
The American business magazine tracked the leading earners in sports for three decades and only seven have held the top the number one spot since 1990 with Tiger Woods hold the record with 12 appearances at the top spot.
Lionel Messi, the highest earner for 2019, puts him name in the top spot for the eighth time this year.
The ranking spans 100 sports and athletes from 25 different countries. For 2019, the combined earnings from the athletes prize money, salaries and endorsements between June 2019 and June 2019 stands at $4 billion. That number is up 5 percent in comparison to 2018 when Floyd Mayweather held the number one spot.
Here's a look the top five athletes that appeared on the Forbes The World's Highest-Paid Athletes list:
1. Lionel Messi
Earnings: $127 million
Source of wealth: Soccer
Salary/Winnings: $92 million
Endorsements: $35 million
Citizenship: Argentina
Lionel Messi.
Photo: Facebook
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Earnings: $109 million
Source of wealth: Soccer
Salary/Winnings: $65 million
Endorsements: $44 million
Citizenship: Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo
Photo: File
3. Neymar
Earnings:$105 million
Source of wealth: Soccer
Salary/Winnings: $75 million
Endorsements: $30 million
Citizenship: Brazil
Neymar
Photo: File
4. Canelo Alvarez
Earnings: $94 million
Source of wealth: Boxing
Salary/Winnings: $94 million
Citizenship: Mexico
Canelo Alvarez
Photo: (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
5. Roger Federer
Earnings: $93.4 million
Source of wealth: $Tennis
Salary/Winnings: $7.4 million
Endorsements: $86 million
Citizenship: Switzerland
Roger Federer
Photo: (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)