On top of the world

New York

Forbes yesterday released the annual ranking of the sportspersons titled “World’s 100 Highest-Paid Athletes.” The top 100 men and women in sports earned a total of $3.2 billion over the last 12 months, a 17 per cent jump from last year.

The blockbuster showdown between boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fueled much of the $460 million earnings increase in 2015. Mayweather topped the list for the second year in a row and third time overall. Mayweather, Woods and now Pacquiao are the only athletes to earn nine-figures in one year.

The list of the world’s 100 highest-paid sportspersons consisted of players from ten different sports. Baseball with 27 players, basketball 18, American football 16 and football 15 made up three-quarters of the list combined. Cricket and track-and-field both placed one athlete on the list.

Other sports included tennis with seven players, golf with six players, racing six drivers and boxing with three. There were no hockey players on the list for a fourth straight year.

The cutoff for the top 100, with the news list, has become $18.8mn, up from $17.3mn last year and $16.4mn in 2013.

Forbes said their calculated earnings figures include salaries, bonuses, prize money, appearance fees, as well as licensing and endorsement income for the past 12 months. The list only included athletes who were active during the last 12 months.

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo was third with earnings of $79.6mn, taking in more than $50mn a year in salary and bonuses, ahead of his great Barcelona rival Lionel Messi with $73.8mn.

Roger Federer is fifth with earnings of $67mn, including $58mn from sponsors, exhibitions and appearance fees. Another tennis player, Maria Sharapova, is the top-ranked woman at rank 26 with earnings of $29.7mn.

Despite his declining form, Tiger Woods hangs in at nine on $50.6mn, with Rory McIlroy at rank 12 with $48.3mn.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is 14th ($39.1mn), Lewis Hamilton 15th ($39mn) and Gareth Bale 18th ($35mn.)