PSG flop Messi beats Ronaldo and LeBron James as the highest-earning sports star in the last 12 months

Forbes has released its annual list of the highest-earning athletes in the world and Argentine footballer Lionel Messi sits top.

Messi earned $75 million on-field and $55 million off the field totalling a whopping $130 million approximately ₦54 billion despite performing well below expectations for PSG during the one-year period in question.

The Argentine superstar is widely regarded as one of the best to ever play football and was the best player in the world before leaving Barcelona for PSG where it has not quite worked out yet.

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Messi’s arch-rival, Cristiano Ronaldo is third on the list, $15 million short of the Argentine having earned $60 million on the field and $55 million off the pitch.

Ronaldo earned $115 million in total in the highlighted period which puts him behind Messi and gives their fans more to argue about in this rivalry that has been going on for almost two decades.

In between Messi and Ronaldo on this list is LeBron James, the American basketball superstar is the second-highest earner on the list with $121.2 million in total earnings.

Messi’s teammate at PSG, Neymar comes in fourth with $95 million in annual earnings, $70 million on the field and the other $25 million off-field.

In the fifth position is another NBA superstar, Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry whose total income was $92.8 million.

Fellow American basketball superstar Kevin Durant features at sixth with $92.1 million earned in a year playing for the Brooklyn Nets.

Legendary tennis player Roger Federer earned $90.7 million to finish seventh on the list but surprisingly only made $700k of that on-field with a whopping $90 million in off-pitch earnings.

Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez is eighth with $90 million in earnings, $85 million of which was earned in the ring.

American football legend Tom Brady earned $83.9 million which is the ninth-most among sports stars while the top 10 is rounded off by Greek-Nigerian basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo with $80.9 million in earnings.