Virat Kohli only Indian in Forbes 2019 list of world's highest-paid athletes
Virat Kohli, who was ranked 83rd in Forbes 2018 list of highest-paid athletes, has been placed at the 100th spot in the recently-updated list which is headed by Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.
In Short
- Virat Kohli only Indian among top 100 in the 2019 list of highest-paid athletes
- Virat Kohli's total estimated pay stands at $25m for the last 12 months
- Lionel Messi has led the Forbest highest-paid athletes list for the 1st time
India cricket team captain Virat Kohli has once again become the sole Indian in the Forbes 2019 list of world's highest-paid athletes, announced on June 11.
Virat Kohli is ranked last on the list of top 100 athletes which is headed by Barcelona and Argentina football superstar Lionel Messi.
According to the Forbes 2019 list, Virat Kohli is estimated to earn $21m from endorsements and $4m from salary and winnings, taking his total tally to $25m for the last 12 months.
Notably, Virat Kohli was ranked 83rd on last year's list and has moved down to the 100th spot despite an increase of $1m in endorsements.
Virat Kohli, who leads the batting charts in International Cricket Council's Test and ODI rankings, has a couple of big-money deals with some of the sport's biggest brands. The India captain is certainly among the most popular cricketers across the globe and his fiery on-field outlook dominates narratives whenever India take to the field.
Lionel Messi tops Forbes list for the 1st time
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has led the Forbes list of world's highest-paid athletes for the first time, having unseated boxing great Floyd Mayweather. Cristiano Ronaldo, who made the much-talked-about move from Real Madrid to Juventus last season, is second on the list with Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar coming third.
Notably, it is the first time that footballers have clinched the top three spots since Forbes began tracking athlete earnings in 1990.
With $92m from salary and winnings and an additional $35m from endorsements, leader Messi has total estimated earnings of $127m. Ronaldo has total estimated earnings of $109m over the last 12 months with $65m coming from salary and winnings and $44 coming from endorsements.
Neymar has total estimated earnings of $105m over the last 12 months ($75m from salary and earnings, $30m from endorsements).
Tennis great Roger Federer is fifth on the list with a whopping $86m coming from endorsements and $7.4m coming from salary and earnings.
Golf star Tiger Woods, F1 great Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic and Conor McGregor are among the other big names in the top 25.
Meanwhile, legendary women's singles tennis player, Serena Williams is the only woman in the list at the 63rd spot. Notably, there were no women in Forbes 2018 list but Serena has come back into the top 100 following her return to the sport after a maternity break. With an endorsement earning of $25m and pay from salary amounting to $4.2m, Serena's estimated total earnings over the last 12 months stand at $29.2m.
World's Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes in 2019 (Source: Forbes)
- Lionel Messi (Football) - $127m
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Football) - $109m
- Neymar (Football) - $105m
- Canelo Alvarez (Boxing) - $94m
- Roger Federer (Tennis) - $93.4m
- Russell Wilson (American Football) - $89.5m
- Aaron Rodgers (American Football) - $89.3m
- LeBron James (Basketball) - $89m
- Stephen Curry (Basketball) - $79.8m
- Kevin Durrant (Basketball) - $65.4m
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