Top 20 Highest Paid non-American Athletes, or: Why it Pays to Play Soccer

By: Daryl | June 3rd, 2008

Sports Illustrated have released their annual list of the top 20 highest paid non-American athletes. Nine of those twenty are footballers. Read on to find out who (and how much) …

1. David Beckham (LA Galaxy) $48.2m
2. Kimi Räikkönen (Formula One) $46m
3. Ronaldinho (Barcelona) $37.5m
4. Leo Messi (Barcelona) $35.8m
5. Roger Federer (Tennis) $35.1m
6. Fernando Alonso (Formula One) $35m
7. Valentino Rossi (MotoCross) $34m
8. Yao Ming (Basketball) $31.8m
9. Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd) $30.3m
10. Ichiro Suzuki (Baseball) $27.6m
11. Lewis Hamilton (Formula One) $27.6m
12. Thierry Henry (Barcelona) $26.1m
13. Maria Sharapova (Tennis) $21.8m
14. John Terry (Chelsea) $21.6m
15. Michael Ballack (Chelsea) $21.5m
16. Ronaldo (AC Milan) $20.8m
17. Johan Santana (Baseball) $20.8m
18. Dirk Nowitzki (Basketball) $20.4m
19. Kaká (AC Milan) $20.1m
20. Hideki Matsui (Baseball) $19m

Sports Illustrated’s much more pleasing on the eye list can be found here.

First thing that strikes me: the top two highest paid players (Beckham and Ronaldinho) haven’t actually played much in the past twelve months. Doesn’t that make them a sizeable waste of money?

In Beckham’s case you can argue that he’s done some solid PR work on behalf of Galaxy and MLS, and is at least back in action and doing things like this.

But Ronaldinho? The year he’s had, Barca would have been better off keeping that money.

I suspect we’ll see Cristiano Ronaldo creeping up towards the top of that list over time. But the irony is that it seems like the highest paid players are never actually the best.

It takes time to work your way up to top earner. But maybe by the time you get there… your best days are already over.

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Category: World Football

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anonymous

YOU CAN GET PAID TO DRIVE CARS?!?!?! SWEET!!!
Rob

Besides I'll wager Ronaldinho still shifts a fair few shirts in Brazil, and indeed everywhere in the world that is not Catalonia
Yevy

Keep in mind these are not salaries, but combined income. Nike, Electronic Arts, and Pepsi paid Ronaldinho most of those millions, not Barca.
calcio-calcio

and what do you mean how do you make 40 + million in auto racing??? F1 is one of the biggest sports in the world
calcio-calcio

motocross??? Its Moto GP lol
alitta

Haha right, Beckham is not the best, never! but he's been earning too much since he knew how to kick a ball
Babyshoes

How do you make 40+ million at AUTO RACING??!?!?
Laurie

MotoCross. Because...yeah.
Ian Rose

I think that's absolutely it - you get the big bucks AFTER you've become the best, not on your way up. Two years ago, Ronaldinho was the best in the world, so he earned that big money. In a few years, Ronaldo will be much higher, especially if Real buys him. Nice to see one woman up there - Sharapova is ridiculous, and I'm glad to see there's only one tennis player above her.