Tom Brady cracks 2021 Top 10 highest-paid athletes in the world, according to Forbes

2020 was an unusual year for, well, everything, including sports as many leagues were forced to adapt different schedules and even contract structures.

But that didn’t stop many from raking in the dough.

Forbes released its list of the top-10 highest-paid athletes in the world over the last 12 months, which had some very familiar faces and a few new ones, including a new claim for the top spot.

Here is how the list shaped out:

MMA fighter Conor McGregor took the No. 1 spot, earning a whopping $180 million over the last 12 months. It is his first appearance atop the Forbes list and second time in the top 10.

The 32-year-old gained the top spot in part to selling his majority stake in whiskey brand Proper No. Twelve to Proximo Spirits for $150 million, bringing his total money in endorsements to $158 million. He joins only Tiger Woods and Roger Federer to make more than $70 million off the field while still actively competing, per Forbes.

The Argentinian soccer player made $97 million on the field last year despite his attempt to leave Barcelona. His contract expires in June, which could lead to more drama for the 33-year-old. He reached second on the list with an extra $33 million in sponsorship revenue, which includes deals with Adidas and Ginny Hilfiger.

There is no denying Ronaldo’s popularity. The 36-year-old has 500 million followers across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter — becoming the first person in the world to do so. That has helped make him an attractive marketing star for sponsors, which includes a lifetime deal with Nike and has partnered with Pestana hotel group to form CR7 — a business of branded clothing, accessories, hotels and gyms.

It pays to be the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott, whose season was cut short last year due to an ankle injury, inked a four-year, $160 million deal in the offseason, which included a $66 million signing bonus to push him into fourth on the Forbes list.

In addition to being handsomely rewarded as the quarterback of the most valuable franchise in sports, Prescott raked in another $10 million in endorsements.

LeBron James added another championship to his rèsumè last year, his first with the Lakers, but his projects off the court have helped garner him more than double his $31.5 million salary. He signed a new endorsement deal with PepsiCo and will be going full Hollywood, starring in the new Space Jam movie this summer, which his entertainment company spearheaded.

The NBA star eyes to stick around on the list, too, as he recently purchased a small stake in the Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Red Sox, Liverpool FC and Roush Fenway Racing.

Like Ronaldo and Messi, Neymar has a massive social media following — the third-largest following among athletes behind his two other soccer brethren. The 29-year-old made $76 million on the field last year and raked in another $19 million in endorsements, which included an early exit from his Jordan Brand contract to become a brand ambassador for Puma.

Federer hardly played at all in 2020 due to a knee injury, but the money from his endorsement deals kept pouring in to still get him inside Forbes’ top 10. Federer has deals with Rolex, Credit Suisse and Uniqlo, as well as stake in Swiss athletic apparel company On, which may become a publicly traded company this fall.

The British Formula 1 racer won his sixth championship in seven seasons last year, including 11 race wins which brought in bonus money for him to accumulate $70 million in earnings on the racetrack. He also has endorsement deals with Tommy Hilfiger, Monster Energy and Puma.

Life is good for the 43-year-old Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback. Brady won his seventh Super Bowl title last year and continues to add endorsement deals, most notably with eyewear company Christopher Cloos and clothing apparel Fanatics. The TB12 brand also launched a film production company and NFL platform this year as Brady looks to continuously lock himself inside the top 10 on Forbes list.

Durant spent much of 2020 continuing to recover from his Achilles tear before debuting for the Nets in December. While rehabbing his injury, Durant was building his brand off the court. His firm, Thirty Five Ventures, launched The Boardroom Podcast Network with Audacy’s Cadence 13 and continues to invest in a number of different businesses. His $1 million investment in Postmates back in 2016 also paid dividends after it was bought by Uber last year.