Athletes with the Highest Annual Salary in 2022

When athletes reach the peak of their profession, the numbers from their annual salary tend to become dizzying.

From the pitch and gridiron to the hardwood and ring, international superstars pocket tens of millions of dollars each year. The world's highest-paid group features the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Canelo Álvarez, Lionel Messi and Stephen Curry.

On-field earnings in 2022 are the focus of these rankings, so endorsement income is not included. Spotrac total-cash data is used for the NFL, NBA and MLB, while Forbes is the source for soccer.

Boxers with reported purse incomes are also considered, though the list is limited to bouts contested in 2022 only.

While no MLB player made the cut, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is the NBA's lone representative.

During the 2021 offseason, Curry signed a four-year, $215 million pact to stay in Golden State. He's due $48.1 million this season, with a peak annual value of $59.6 million to come during the 2025-26 campaign.

Curry, a two-time league MVP, has been a critical part of the Warriors' four recent championships. He earned a long-awaited NBA Finals MVP honor in 2022, as well.

When this contract expires, Curry will be only $30 million shy of earning a half-billion dollars in his career on salary alone.

Neymar is the first of three Paris Saint-Germain icons to appear on the highest-paid list.

Since debuting as a professional at 17 years old, Neymar has become one of the world's most prolific goal scorers. He initially played for Santos in Brazil prior to joining FC Barcelona in 2013 and moving to Ligue 1 powerhouse PSG four years later.

Also the star player for Brazil on the international stage, Neymar has on-field earnings of $55 million in 2022.

Neymar propelled Brazil to a gold medal in the 2016 Olympics and earned Ligue 1 Player of the Year recognition in 2017-18, among his many team and individual accomplishments.

Over the last couple of years, the popularity of Formula One has risen sharply in the United States. And there's no question the newest fans were quickly introduced to Lewis Hamilton.

In short: He's the most prolific driver in F1 history.

Hamilton has set loads of all-time records—many previously held by racing legend Michael Schumacher—in pole positions and wins. Hamilton shares the record of series championships (seven) with Schumacher.

A part-owner of the NFL's Denver Broncos, Hamilton has a $55 million salary—the highest F1 mark before bonuses.

Based on a half-season of evidence, the Denver Broncos may be regretting their trade for Russell Wilson.

His bank account, however, is not.

Wilson, who arrived from the Seattle Seahawks, signed a five-year, $242.6 million extension after he landed in Denver. The contract includes $57 million of total cash, the NFL's second-highest number in 2022.

Wilson garnered second-team AP All-Pro honors in 2019 and guided the Seahawks to four NFC West titles. Most prominently, Seattle won a Super Bowl in 2014 with Wilson.

Although the 2022 season hasn't gone according to plan for Matthew Stafford either, the 2021 campaign sure did.

Stafford joined the Los Angeles Rams after spending 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions, the franchise that drafted him first overall in the 2009 NFL draft. He'd requested a trade because the organization had consistently failed to build a competitive team around him.

In his debut year with L.A., Stafford steered the Rams to a Super Bowl victory. He posted top-three NFL marks of 4,886 passing yards and 41 touchdowns during the season, too.

Stafford parlayed that triumph into a four-year, $160 million extension that pays an NFL-high $61.5 million in 2022.

Lionel Messi is not built like a superstar. But he's become one of, if not, the single-best player of all time.

Relatively small compared to his professional counterparts, Messi is an unassuming terror. He stands 5'7" yet strikes a Goliath-sized fear into his opposition with brilliant footwork, unlimited creativity and a penchant for curling free kicks into the back of the net.

It's no wonder Paris Saint-Germain reportedly spends $65 million for the Argentine's services.

Messi has a stacked trophy case, winning the Ballon d'Or—given annually to the world's top player—a preposterous, record-setting seven times. He also led Argentina to its first trophy since 1993 at the 2021 Copa América.

Hundreds of preparation hours go unseen, but Canelo Álvarez is paid handsomely for his brief moments in the spotlight.

Sportico reported Canelo was expected to earn $40 million for his May showdown with Dmitry Bivol despite losing the bout. And in September, per Boxing Scene, the Mexican fighter earned $45 million when he won a unanimous decision over Gennady Golovkin.

The 32-year-old Álvarez earned a combined $85 million for his two much-anticipated fights in 2022.

In mid-November, Canelo confirmed he plans to fight in May. Though a Bivol rematch is not official, it seems likely Álvarez will pursue another shot against the Russian.

Not only is Kylian Mbappé the world's highest-paid athlete, he's the lone talent in nine figures.

Mbappé has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence, debuting for Monaco as a 16-year-old in 2015. Within two years, he'd secured a loan to Paris Saint-Germain—which resulted in a $213.3 million transfer, the second-largest fee in history, and a sterling start to his career.

Since joining PSG in 2017, Mbappé has been named Ligue 1 Player of the Year in three seasons. He's topped the goal-scoring chart in four consecutive campaigns as well.

And his on-field earnings are a staggering $110 million.

For good measure, Mbappé is only the second teenager to score in a World Cup Final. He notched the goal during the 2018 tournament as France defeated Croatia 4-2 for the sport's marquee trophy.