Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Floyd Mayweather and Roger Federer are some of the biggest athletes in the world and have been at the top of their professions over the past decade and have entertained us all.

Unsurprisingly, that means they’ll have accumulated a vast amount of wealth year on year through their wages, winnings and endorsement deals.

Forbes have announced the highest-paid athletes every year since 2012, all the way up to 2022, so let’s see who has the most brass and who relies on sponsorships!

Floyd Mayweather’s earnings

Money topped the charts in four separate years between 2012 and 2022, with his huge fight purses helping him smash the earnings table. In 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2018, no one could come close to Mayweather.

The first two years he topped the charts he had no money through endorsements, with salaries coming in at $85 million and $105 million in 2012 and 2014 respectively. He then moved on to $285 million of his $300 million take home in 2015, whilst 2018 saw him make $285 million, with only $10 million of that coming via endorsements.

Floyd Mayweather takes on Mikuru Asakura on September 25

Tiger Woods’ earnings

In 2013, Tiger Woods topped the Forbes list, with a total of $78.1 million, with the majority being made up in endorsements, with only $13.1 million taken home via his salary/winnings.

Woods was on fire in 2013, picking up PGA Tour Player of the Year for his exploits on the course that term, winning his fair share of trophies on his way to collating a tidy sum of money!

Tiger Woods

Cristiano Ronaldo’s earnings

It was inevitable the Portuguese star would feature here, with the famous number seven picking up back-to-back top spots on Forbes’ list in 2016 and 2017.

The first year saw Ronaldo make $88 million, with $56 million his wage and winnings and $32 million thanks to endorsements. His wage rose $2 million the following year with his endorsements climbing by $3 million to see him make an improved $93 million.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 02: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United celebrates his sides second goal which is later disallowed by VAR during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Brentford at Old Trafford on May 02, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

Lionel Messi’s earnings

As with Ronaldo, Messi was bound to make repeat appearances on the list, topping the charts in 2019 and also in 2022, although his move to PSG isn’t necessarily the deciding factor.

In 2019, he made $127 million, which included a wage of $92 million, with his overall total rising to $130 million this year, but his wage dropping to $75 million, proving how handy those endorsements are for the bank balance of athletes.

PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 29: Lionel Messi is awarded with his seventh Ballon D'Or award during the Ballon D'Or Ceremony at Theatre du Chatelet on November 29, 2021 in Paris, France. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)

Roger Federer’s earnings

Roger Federer made the huge call to hang up his racket recently, with arguably the greatest ever tennis player bowing out of the sport, but he certainly lined his pockets in the process with his immense ability bringing him major successes.

He made $106.3 million in 2020 to top the table in Forbes’ list, with an eye-watering $100 million coming via endorsements. Something that just helps further the idea he’s one of the most marketable sportspeople in the world.

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 24: Roger Federer of Team Europe smiles as fans watch on during Day Two of the Laver Cup at The O2 Arena on September 24, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images for Laver Cup)

Conor McGregor’s earnings

The Irish UFC star is the only man along with Federer to top a yearly Forbes list in this category and make nine-figures in endorsements, with $158 million added to his wage of $22 million in 2021 to see him take top spot with $180 million.

That just goes to show the money that can be made by UFC stars outside of the Octagon, despite the heavy criticism of them not receiving what they deserve whilst fighting from the promotion.

LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 12: Conor McGregor celebrates after a first-round knockout victory over Jose Aldo in their featherweight title fight during UFC 194 on December 12, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)