World's Top Paid Athlete for 2011
Each year (since 2004) Sports Illustrated Magazine's have published the Fortunate 50 (top paid US athletes) and the International 20 (top paid other athletes).
It made sense to combine these two and create the World 10. We have combined the 2011 Fortunate 50 and the 2011 International 20 lists to give you the top 10 paid athletes in the world in 2011 according to Sports Illustrated. The internationals have been slowly catching up with the Americans, and now make up half of this list. Compare this list to the Forbes 2011 Top Paid Athletes List. Earning totals are based on salary, winnings, endorsements and appearance fees.
| Name | Country | Sport | earnings (US$ million) | previous year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Tiger Woods | USA | Golf | $62,294,116 | 1 |
| 2. | Phil Mickelson | USA | Golf | $61,185,933 | 3 |
| 3. | Roger Federer | Switzerland | Tennis | $52,781,940 | 2 |
| 4. | Manny Pacquiao | Philippines | Boxing | $52,500,000 | 9 |
| 5. | Fernando Alonso | Spain | Auto Racing | $45,000,000 | >11 |
| 6. | LeBron James | USA | Basketball | $44,500,000 | 5 |
| 7. | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Soccer | $43,800,000 | 6 |
| 8. | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Soccer | $38,800,000 | 8 |
| 9. | Peyton Manning | USA | American Football | $38,070,000 | >11 |
| 10. | Alex Rodriguez | USA | Baseball | $36,000,000 | =10 |
Related Pages
- About Sports Illustrated Lists
- Other sporting lists, including the Forbes list of the World's Best Paid Athletes
- More about the World of Sport
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
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