With leagues around the globe posting record revenues and investors pouring in cash to drive further expansion, the sports world’s biggest stars have long been able to bank on an annual pay raise. For the past eight years—aside from a momentary dip in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic kept fans out of stadiums—the combined earnings of the 50 highest-paid athletes have climbed higher and higher, rising from $2.6 billion in 2018 to $4.2 billion in 2025.
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-worlds-highest-paid-athletes-2026/
