Forbes highest paid athletes of 2018 include players from 11 sports which include 40 basketball players.
Here we list the top 10 players on the list and the only Indian to feature this year – Virat Kohli.
Matthew Stafford | American Football |$59.5 million| The Detroit Lions quarterback signed one of the richest contracts in NFL history ensuring a salary/bonuses of $57.5 million per year and making sure he ends up in the top 10 highest paid athletes of 2018. He also earned $2 million endorsing for the likes of Nike, PepsiCo and Ford.Matt Ryan | American Football | $67.3 million | 33-year-old quarterback stands at the ninth position in the highest paid athletes according to Forbes. The Atlanta Falcons star signed a $150 million deal with the franchise locking himself through 2023. Ryan earned $62.3 million from salary and bonuses and $5 million in endorsements.Stephen Curry | Basketball | $76.9 million | Curry with $34.9 million in salary/bonuses and $42 million from endorsements stands at eighth on the Forbes list. The Golden State Warriors point guard signed a $200 million five-year deal with the NBA franchise. Off the court, he appears for brands like Vivo, Chase, Nissan and JBL.Roger Federer | Lawn Tennis | $77.2 million | The Swiss great who won two of the four grand slams last year, added another in the beginning of this year where he earned $12.2 million from the prize money and the rest of the $65 million from endorsements. The 20-time grand slam winner is associated with Nike, Credit Suisse, Mercedes, Rolex, Wilson among others.LeBron James | Basketball | $85.5 million | Considered one of the greatest players of the game, James plays for Cleveland Cavaliers. The 6-feet-8-inches tall forward earned $33.5 million from salary and bonuses and $52 million from endorsements to stand at sixth in the Forbes list. The 33-year-old also has business interest in many ventures including English football club Liverpool.Neymar | Football | $90 million | The Brazilian wonder is fifth in the list of top paid athletes 2018 list by Forbes with $73 million in salary/bonuses and $17 million in endorsements. The Paris Saint-Germain forward was signed by the French club in a $600 million deal. Neymar is supposed to receive a total of $350 million from the deal till June 2022.Conor McGregor | Mixed Martial Arts | $99 million| The Irish MMA boxer received his heftiest paycheck from the bout with Floyd Mayweather in 2017. Despite McGregor lost the bout, he pocketed an estimated $85 million. This was more than five-times his previous top paycheck. His current endorsement includes Burger King, Beats by Dre and Monster Energy.Cristiano Ronaldo | Football | $108 million | The Real Madrid star pocketed $61 million from salary/bonuses and $47 million from endorsements in the assessment year making him the third highest paid athlete in the world. The 33-year-old Portuguese forward has an over $1 billion lifetime endorsement deal with Nike. Apart from that, he appears for EA Sports and American Tourister off the pitch.Lionel Messi | Football | $111 million | Five times Ballon d’Or award winner is the second highest paid player according to Forbes. The Argentine great pocketed $84 million in salary/bonuses and $27 million in endorsements in last one year. The Barcelona star has a lifelong deal with Adidas. He also endorses Gatorade, Pepsi and Huawei.Floyd Mayweather | Boxing | $285 million | Mayweather appears at the top thanks to his hefty paycheck in a bout with Conor McGregor in 2017 which he won. He pocketed $275 million from the 36-minute match. Mayweather has topped the chart for the fourth time in last seven years.Virat Kohli | Cricket | $24 million | The only cricketer and the only Indian in the top 100 highest paid athletes is the Indian men’s cricket team skipper Virat Kohli. The Delhi lad earned $4 million in salary/match fees thanks to his contracts with RCB and BCCI. Kohli also pocketed $20 million in endorsements in last one year. Overall he stands at the 83rd position.
