The top 100 highest-paid athletes in the world in 2022 include eight Latine players with roots in five Latin American countries – Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Venezuela.
The list was released earlier this week by Sportico.com, a digital news outlet that publishes news on the global sports industry. Sportico estimated the earnings of the top 100 highest-paid athletes in the world this year to be $4.46 billion in total income. This includes $3.24 billion in salary and prize money and $1.23 billion from “endorsements, licensing, memorabilia and appearances” in the last 12 months.
The highest-paid Latine athlete in 2022 is Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, who comes in at No. 2 on the list with a total of $122 million in earnings ($72 million in salary/winnings and $50 million in endorsements). The only athlete in the world making more money than Messi this year is NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James with $126.9 million in total earnings.
Joining Messi in the top 5 are Brazilian footballer Neymar at No. 4 with $103 million in total earnings ($65 in salary/winnings and $38 million in endorsements) and Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez at No. 5 with $89 million in total earnings ($84 in salary/winnings and $5 million in endorsements).
The five other Latine players who made the top 100 highest-paid list are NBA’s Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker, who is half Mexican-American, at No. 51 with $35.5 million; NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, who is half Dominican-American, at No. 82 with $31.5 million; Venezuelan MLB star for the Detroit Tigers Miguel Cabrera at No. 83 with $31.4 million; Mexican-American MLB star Anthony Rendon for Los Angeles Angels at No. 90 with $30.6 million; and Dominican-American MLB star for the San Diego Padres Manny Machado at No. 91 with $30.5 million.