The 100 top-earning athletes come from 21 countries, with Americans the most prevalent. They compete in 11 sports, though basketball players are the most common, and over the past 12 months, the athletes have banked a cumulative $3.11 billion. Twenty-nine percent of that comes from endorsements and appearances. So who are the highest-paid athletes in the world? Check out the gallery below for the top 10.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest paid athlete in the world. He makes $58 million through salary and winnings and $35 million through endorsements.(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
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LeBron James
NBA All-Star LeBron James is the second highest paid athlete in the world. He has a $31.2 million a year salary and gets $55 million for endorsements. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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Lionel Messi
Argentine professional footballer Lionel Messi comes in at number 3 with a salary of $53 million and $27 million of endorsements. (Photo by Jeroen Meuwsen/Soccrates/Getty Images)
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Roger Federer
Tennis star Roger Federer comes in at number 4, with a salary of $6 million and endorsements of $58 million. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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Kevin Durant
Number 5 is Gold State Warrior Kevin Durant, who has a salary of $26.6 million and endorsements that come to $34 million. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Andrew Luck
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck makes $47 million per year, and then $3 million in endorsements, putting him at number 6. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Rory McIlroy
Irish golfer Rory McIlroy makes $16 million and has $34 million in endorsements, putting him at number 7. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
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Stephen Curry
Golden State Warrior All-Star Stephen Curry makes $12.3 million a year and has endorsements adding up to $35 million, making him the 8th highest-paid athlete in the world. (Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
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James Harden
Houston Rockets guard James Harden comes in at number 9 with a salary of $26.6 million and endorsements adding up to $20 million. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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Lewis Hamilton
Auto racer Lewis Hamilton comes in number 10 with $38 million in salary and $8 million in endorsements. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
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