Steven Gerrard was the 86th highest earning athlete in the world this past year. Forbes estimated his total earnings last year as $18.7 million dollars (see full list here). Liverpool teammate Luis Suarez made the last very last spot in the top 100.
The survey measured income from all sources.
Two footballers cracked the top five with Real Madrid icon Cristiano Ronaldo #2 overall at $80 million earned last year. Lionel Messi is 4th and 64.7 million. Boxer Floyd Mayweather took the top spot at $105 million. Real Madrid has another member of the top 20 with Gareth Bale checking in at #14. Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney makes more than any Premier Leaguer, he’s 43rd, although Manchester City ace Sergio Aguero is right there behind him at #44.
NBA stars round out the top five with Miami Heat forward Lebron James #3 and Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant #5
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also a frequent guest on talk shows across the world. Banks has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including NFL.com, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Deadspin, ESPN, Washington Times, NBC and the History Channel. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)