Manchester United’s Paul Pogba joins the list of the world’s 10 highest-paid athletes 25 and under
The world of sports is gushing with money right now thanks largely to escalating TV rights fees.
ESPN alone will spend $3 billion in 2017 for their share of NFL and NBA games. Players get their cut through ever-expanding blockbuster playing contracts.
While most athletes need to bide their time until their big payday, a handful break the bank at an earlier age.
Forbes published its annual look at the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes this month.
The cutoff for inclusion was $21.4 million with an average age of 31, but eight athletes who have yet to turn 26 qualified with soccer and basketball players leading the charge.
Below is a breakdown of those top-earning athletes, plus two more under 25 that finished just outside the top 100 earners.
Earnings are for June 2016 to June 2017 and include salaries and endorsements.
Neymar, Age 25, Earnings: $37 million
The Brazilian wunderkind is the highest-paid of the 25 and under set. The soccer superstar’s current contract ties him to Barcelona through 2021. He is the only soccer player to earn more off than on the pitch, including from sponsors Nike, Gillette, Panasonic and Beats by Dre.
Jordan Spieth, Age 23, Earnings: $34.5 million
Spieth was the youngest in the top 100 for two straight years before Andre Drummond this year. Spieth turns 24 on July 27, yet has already banked more than $100 million on the PGA Tour from prize money, appearances and endorsements.
Spieth remains an incredibly marketable star with 10 endorsement partners like Under Armour, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Titleist and Rolex. His latest deal is with General Mills brand Wheaties. He is the fourth golfer to appear on the cereal boxes, joining Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Under Armour debuted the first Spieth signature golf shoe this year with a four-city global tour that kicked off in Tokyo in January. He earned $29 million from sponsors and appearances over the past 12 months.
Kyrie Irving, Age 25, Earnings: $29.9 million
Sales of Irving’s Nike signature shoes have been on fire since the first one was introduced in December 2014. Only LeBron James sold more of his signature shoes during the 12 months ending in March, according to NPD Group.
Anthony Davis, Age 24, Earnings: $28.1 million
Davis made the All-NBA first team two of the past three years and won an All-Star Game MVP after setting a record with 52 points in the 2017 game. The Pelicans locked up their franchise player with a five-year, $127 million deal that kicked off during the 2016-17 season.
Harrison Barnes, Age 25, Earnings: $23.9 million
Barnes inked a four-year, max contract worth $94 million with the Mavericks as a free agent last summer. Barnes scored a career-high 19.2 points per game during his first year in Dallas. He re-upped with Adidas last year with a new four-year pact.
Bradley Beal, Age 24, Earnings: $23.3 million
Beal broke the bank last summer with a max-level contract from the Washington Wizards. The deal is worth $127 million over five years. He rewarded the team’s faith with career highs in points and assists as the Wizards posted their most wins since the 1978-79 season with 49.
Andre Drummond, Age 23, Earnings: $22.1 million
Drummond was the youngest athlete to crack the 100 highest-paid. He re-signed with the Pistons last summer in a 5-year, $127 million deal. Drummond also banks $1 million annually from endorsement partners like Nike/Jordan, Halo Burger and Kroger
James Rodriguez, Age 25, Earnings: $21.9 million
There is little doubt about Rodriguez’s marketability off the pitch. He inked new pacts with Calvin Klein, Huawei and Libertex over the past year. The Columbian’s deal with Adidas reportedly calls for him to wear the No. 10 jersey for any team he represents.
Paul Pogba, Age 24, Earnings: $21.2 million
Pogba left storied Italian club Juventus for Manchester United and a heavily incentivized playi
ng contract. He took home $17.2 million for playing in 49 games and scoring 9 goals while assisting on 6 more. Adidas also inked him to a 10-year deal worth an estimated $45 million.
Myles Garrett, Age 21, Earnings: $20.7 million
The NFL’s No. 1 overall draft pick pocketed a $20.3 million signing bonus in May for his deal with the Cleveland Browns. The total pact is worth $30.4 million over four years. Adidas also signed signed a multiyear deal with Garrett, who had 31 sacks in 34 games at Texas A&M.