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Sports and athletics are two things that bring the world together. Due to its obvious global appeal, successful athletes end up making a lot of money. Income flows to them in various ways like wages, sponsorship deals, ad revenues, image rights etc.
Some of the world's biggest athletes raked in plenty of dough despite the world struggling through a pandemic. Credit has to go to them for transforming themselves into well marketed sporting icons who garner a massive amount of attention every time they decide to pop up somewhere.
The 50 highest earning athletes in 2021 made nearly $2.8 billion in 12 months. Fighters, American football players, footballers and NBA stars are among the highest earning athletes in the world.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five athletes who have earned the most amount of money per minute in 2021.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo - $17,000 per minute
Cristiano Ronaldo might have entered the twilight of his career but he is still an incredible athlete. He is also one of the world's most popular sporting icons. The Portuguese international secured a move to his former club Manchester United in the summer of 2021.
He reportedly earns in excess of €500,000 per week at Manchester United. Ronaldo has lost a yard of pace in recent times. After all, he is now about to turn 37 next month. But he has made the transition from left-winger to striker and it has worked out well for him.
Ronaldo reportedly earned $17,000 per minute in 2021.
#4 Neymar Jr. - $32,000 per minute
When Neymar Jr. made the switch from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, he immediately became one of the highest paid athletes in the world. The Brazilian international is one of the most exciting footballers on the planet.
Neymar Jr. is known for his exquisite style of play. He loves taking defenders on and beating them and has an array of tricks up his sleeve which he uses to perfection. The 29-year-old is one of the best footballers of his generation and is also a global sporting icon.
He earns around €700,000 per week at PSG in wages. The Brazilian recently said that he might call it a day on his international football career shortly after the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
#3 Tom Brady - $37,000 per minute
44-year-old quarter-back Tom Brady led underdogs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title in 2021. Brady is widely viewed as the GOAT of American football. He has been playing the game for a very long time and is best known for his 20-year stint with the New England Patriots.
He was one of their primary starters for as many as 18 seasons. Brady led the Patriots to 17 division titles during that time. This included 11 successive wins between 2008 and 2019. He has won six Super Bowl titles and holds the record for most Super Bowl appearances and wins.
He is also the only player to have been named the Super Bowl MVP for two different sides. Brady is the greatest of all time and his income reflects that. The 44-year-old earned $37,000 per minute in 2021.
#2 Canelo Alvarez - $444,000 per minute
Mexican professional boxer Canelo Alvarez is already a legend of the sport and he is just 31-years-old. He has won world titles in four different weight classes. He has won titles from lightweight to light heavyweight.
Alvarez is also the first boxer to become an undisputed champion at super middleweight. He is familiar to the young generation through several videos that went viral which show Alvarez practicing head and body movements. Alvarez is a tricky customer who is excellent at counter punches.
But it's his ability to avoid punches and strike back with thunderous punches to the body that really gets the crowd going. In November 2021, BoxRec, The Ring, the Boxing Writers Association of America, ESPN and TBRB ranked Alvarez as the best active boxer in the world.
#1 Conor McGregor - $8.6 million per minute
The king of trash talk, Conor McGregor, is the highest earning athlete of 2021. He earned a whopping $8.6 million per minute. Forbes ranked McGregor as the highest earning athlete of 2021.
McGregor is a phenomenon in the MMA world. He is the biggest draw in the history of the sport. McGregor's fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 had 2.4 million pay-per-view buys. He also challenged Floyd Mayweather to a professional boxing match in 2017.
Although he was defeated by Mayweather, the match drew 4.3 million pay-per-view buys. The 33-year-old is a former UFC featherweight and lightweight double-champion.
