100 World Richest Athletes 2016: Real Madrid and Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo topped the Forbes list of World richest Athletes in 2016. He was closely followed by Barcelona and Argentine forward Lionel Messi who took the second place in the World athletes rich list.
Tiger Woods who has topped the list World richest athletes 12 times dropped to no. 12. Boxer Floyd Mayweather dropped to 16th in a list dominated by American athletes.
By topping the World Richest Athletes 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first a athlete from a team sport to do so in 20 years. It is also the first time a soccer player is heading the world athletes with riches.
100 World Richest Athletes 2016: Forbes List
The Forbes list of world richest richest athletes is an annual list of total revenues earned by top athletes across all the sports in the world. It is calculated from their salaries, winnings and endorsements. It does not take care of taxes and agent fees.
Ronaldo topped the list List with $88 million, $56 million in salary/earnings and $32 million more from endorsements.
Current World Footballer of the year, Lionel Messi is second on the list. Messi is valued at $81.4 million, with $28 million of that from sponsorship deals.
Surprisingly the first female athlete on the list of world richest athletes 2016 is Serena Williams in 40th position. Serena Williams is valued at $28.9 million.
Russian female tennis player Maria Sharapova is the second female with net worth of $21.9 million. Sharapova is 88th on the list of world richest athletes 2016. Only these two female athletes made it to the list of top 100 World Richest Athletes 2016.
PLEASE NOTE: In the list list of world highest paid athletes below, Football stands for American Football. Soccer stands for the conventional Football regulated by FIFA.
See the complete list of top 100 World Richest Athletes 2016 according to Forbes.
| Rank | Name | Net Worth | Salary/winnings | Endorsements | Sports |
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | $88 M | $56 M | $32 M | Soccer |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | $81.4M | $53.4 | $28 M | Soccer |
| 3 | LeBron James | $77.2M | $23.2 M | $54 M | Basketball |
| 4 | Roger Federer | $67.8 | $7.8 M | $60 M | Tennis |
| 5 | Kevin Durant | $56.2M | $20.2 | $36 M | Basketball |
| 6 | Novak Djokovic | $55.8 M | $21.8 | $34 M | Tennis |
| 7 | Cam Newton | $53.1 M | $41.1 M | $12 M | Football |
| 8 | Phil Mickelson | $52.9 M | $52.9 M | $50 M | Golf |
| 9 | Jordan Spieth | $52.8 M | $20.8 M | $32 M | Golf |
| 10 | Kobe Bryant | $50 M | $25 M | $25 M | Basketball |
| 11 | Lewis Hamilton | $46 M | $42 M | $4 M | Racing |
| 12 | Tiger Woods | $45.3 M | $274 K | $45 M | Golf |
| 13 | Eli Manning | $45 M | $37 M | $8 M | Football |
| 14 | Joe Flacco | $44.5M | $44 M | $500 K | Football |
| 15 | Tom Brady | $44.1 M | $36.1 M | $8 M | Football |
| 16 | Floyd Mayweather | $44 M | $32 M | $12 M | Boxing |
| 17 | Rory McIlroy | $42.6 M | $7.6 M | $35 M | Golf |
| 18 | Russell Wilson | $41.8 M | $31.8 M | $10 M | Football |
| 19 | Sebastian Vettel | $41 M | $40 M | $1 M | Racing |
| 20 | Philip Rivers | $38 M | $37.5 M | $450 K | Football |
| 21 | Rafael Nadal | $37.5 M | $5.5 M | $32 M | Tennis |
| 22 | Neymar | $37.5 M | $14.5 M | $23 M | Soccer |
| 23 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | $37.4 M | $30.4 M | $7 M | Soccer |
| 24 | Fernando Alonso | $36.5 M | $35 M | $1.5 M | Racing |
| 25 | Gareth Bale | $35.9 M | $24.9 M | $11 M | Soccer |
| 26 | Marcell Dareus | $35.2 M | $35.1 M | $100 K | Football |
| 27 | Peyton Manning | $34.2 M | $19.2 M | $15 M | Football |
| 28 | Derrick Rose | $34.1 M | $20.1 M | $14 M | Basketball |
| 29 | Kei Nishikori | $33.5 M | $3.5 M | $30 M | Tennis |
| 30 | A.J. Green | $33.3 | $32.8M | $500 K | Football |
| 31 | James Harden | $32.8 M | $15.8 M | $17 M | Basketball |
| 32 | Usain Bolt | $32.5 M | $2.5 M | $30 M | Track |
| 33 | Clayton Kershaw | $32 M | $31.2 M | $800 K | Baseball |
| 34 | Dwyane Wade | $32 M | $20 M | $12 M | Basketball |
| 35 | Drew Brees | $31 M | $19 M | $12 M | Football |
| 36 | Carmelo Anthony | $30.9 M | $22.9M | $8 M | Basketball |
| 37 | Chris Paul | $30 M | $21.5 M | $8.5 M | Basketball |
| 38 | Cliff Lee | $29.3 M | $29.2 M | $100 K | Baseball |
| 39 | Olivier Vernon | $29 M | $28.8M | $200 K | Football |
| 40 | Serena Williams | $28.9 M | $8.9 M | $20 M | Tennis |
| 41 | Justin Verlander | $28.6 M | $28 M | $600 K | Baseball |
| 42 | Kyrie Irving | $27.6 M | $16.6M | $11 M | Basketball |
| 43 | Julio Jones | $27.2 M | $26 M | $1.2 M | Football |
| 44 | Luke Kuechly | $27.1 M | $26.1 M | $1 M | Football |
| 45 | Robinson Cano | $27 M | $24 M | $3 M | Baseball |
| 46 | Dwight Howard | $26.9 M | $22.4 M | $4.5 M | Basketball |
| 47 | Miguel Cabrera | $26.6 M | $24.1 M | $2.5 M | Baseball |
| 48 | Albert Pujols | $26.3 M | $24.3 M | $2 M | Baseball |
| 49 | Blake Griffin | $26.1 M | $18.1 M | $8 M | Basketball |
| 50 | Wayne Rooney | $26.1 M | $20.1 M | $6 M | Soccer |
| 51 | Cameron Jordan | $25.9 M | $25.8 M | $100 K | Football |
| 52 | Russell Westbrook | $25.7 M | $16.7 M | $9 M | Basketball |
| 53 | Ryan Howard | $25.6 M | $25 M | $600 K | Baseball |
| 54 | Trent Williams | $25.6 M | $25.5 M | $75 K | Football |
| 55 | Chris Bosh | $25.2 M | $22.2 M | $3 M | Basketball |
| 56 | Felix Hernandez | $24.9 M | $24.4M | $500 K | Baseball |
| 57 | Zack Greinke | $24.7M | $24.7 M | $50 K | Baseball |
| 58 | Prince Fielder | $24.6 M | $24.1 M | $500 K | Baseball |
| 59 | CC Sabathia | $24.4 M | $23.7 M | $700 K | Baseball |
| 60 | Sergio Agüero | $24.3 M | $16.8 M | $7.5 M | Soccer |
| 61 | Sam Bradford | $24.3 M | $24 M | $300 K | Football |
| 62 | Paul George | $24.1 M | $17.1 M | $7 M | Basketball |
| 63 | Manny Pacquiao | $24 M | $21.5 M | $2.5 M | Boxing |
| 64 | Kevin Love | $23.9 M | $19.9 M | $4 M | Basketball |
| 65 | Yoenis Cespedes | $23.8 M | $23.2 M | $600 K | Baseball |
| 66 | Joe Mauer | $23.8 M | $23 M | $800 K | Baseball |
| 67 | David Price | $23.8 M | $23.3 M | $500 K | Baseball |
| 68 | Luis Suarez | $23.8 M | $17.8 M | $6 M | Soccer |
| 69 | Stephen Curry | $23.6 M | $11.6 M | $12 M | Basketball |
| 70 | Jason Day | $23.6 M | $15.1 M | $8.5 M | Golf |
| 71 | Dez Bryant | $23.5 M | $23 M | $500 K | Football |
| 72 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr | $23.5 M | $15 M | $8.5 M | Racing |
| 73 | Demaryius Thomas | $23.4 M | $22.2 M | $1.2 M | Football |
| 74 | Andy Murray | $23 M $8 M | $8 M | $15 M | Tennis |
| 75 | Masahiro Tanaka | $23 M | $22 M | $1 M | Baseball |
| 76 | Mark Teixeira | $23 M | $22.5 M | $500 K | Baseball |
| 77 | Joe Johnson | $22.9 M | $21.9 M | $1 M | Basketball |
| 78 | Cole Hamels | $22.7 M | $22.5 M | $200 K | Baseball |
| 79 | Anthony Castonzo | $22.5 M | $22.5 M | $35 K | Football |
| 80 | Troy Tulowitzki | $22.5 M | $22.2 M | $300 K | Baseball |
| 81 | Bastian Schweinsteiger | $22.4 M | $19.4 M | $3 M | Soccer |
| 82 | Jimmie Johnson | $22.2 M | $16.2 M | $6 M | Racing |
| 83 | Angel Di Maria | $22.1 M | $20.6 M | $1.5 M | Soccer |
| 84 | James Rodriguez | $22.1 M | $15.1 M | $7 M | Soccer |
| 85 | Eden Hazard | $22 M | $17 M | $5 M | Soccer |
| 86 | Conor McGregor | $22 M | $18 M | $4 M | MMA |
| 87 | David Ortiz | $22 M | $16 M | $6 M | Baseball |
| 88 | Maria Sharapova | $21.9 M | $1.9 M | $20 M | Tennis |
| 89 | Jacoby Ellsbury | $21.8 M | $21.2 M | $600 K | Baseball |
| 90 | Justin Houston | $21.8 M | $21.7 M | $100 K | Football |
| 91 | Matt Kemp | $21.7 M | $21.2 M | $500 K | Baseball |
| 92 | Canelo Alvarez | $21.5 M | $20 M | $1.5 M | Boxing |
| 93 | Adrian Gonzalez | $21.4 M | $21 M | $400 K | Baseball |
| 94 | LaMarcus Aldridge | $21.2 M | $19.7 M | $1.5 M | Basketball |
| 95 | Cameron Heyward | 21.2 M | $21 M | $150 K | Football |
| 96 | Jayson Werth | $21.2 M | $21 M | $200 K | Baseball |
| 97 | Alex Rodriguez | $21.1 M | $20.7 M | $400 K | Baseball |
| 98 | Nico Rosberg | $21 M | $20 M | $1 M | Racing |
| 99 | Carl Crawford | $20.9 M | 20.6 M | $300 K | Baseball |
| 100 | Buster Posey | $20.8 M | $17.8 M | $3 M | Baseball |
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