For years, two athletes dominated the list of the Top Highest Paid Athlete with Golfer Tiger Woods landing at position one for 12 years. However, with Mayweather hanging up his gloves and woods sustaining numerous injuries, vibrant stars are filling up the gap. This year, Cristiano Ronaldo ranked as the top highest paid athlete, with a total earning of $88 million over the past 12 months. Athletes earning mainly comes from salary, bonuses and endorsements.

10. Kobe Bryant

Kobe has been the third all-time leading Basketball-scorer behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. Bryant took the lead in salary in the NBA for six years consecutively and earned a salary of $25 million and $25 million endorsement, totaling up to $50 million. The NBA champion earned most of the endorsement deals in favor of being part of some businesses. He retired at the end of the 2015-2016 seasons and he is expected to work with Kobe Inc., which he started in 2013 and buy over 10% of the emerging sports drink BodyArmor.

9. Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth is among the emerging and vibrant world’s highest paid athletes having moved from 85th position to the 9th position this season. The Golf player earned a total $52.8 M, which include $20.8 million salary and $32 M bonuses. This best result comes from the 2015 massive wins where he won two major titles, including a record-typing-18 at Masters. He won the FedEx Cup where he earned a $10 million bonus in the fall.

8. Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson is the highest world’s paid Golf player for the fifth time and has ranked up 42 PGA victories. His break through comes three years ago at British Open and in the last season, earned a total of $52.9 Million, which compose of $2.9 salaries and $50 M million endorsements. His endorsement partners include Barclays, Callaway, Exxon Mobil, KPMG, Amgen and Rolex.

7. Cam Newton

Cam Newton is one of the players of the highest paid sport. He signed a new contract with the panthers in June 2015 and is expected to earn about $103.8 million over the five years. The football player earned a total of $53.1M in the last season, which composed of $41.1 M Salary and $12 M endorsements.

6. Novak Djokovic  

Novak Djokovic is the second world’s richest Tennis athletes having won about $100 million career prize money at the French Open this year alone. In the 2015-2016 seasons, he earned a salary of $21.8 and endorsement of $34 million totaling up to $55.8 million. The tennis player has been in remarkable run he managed to banked $82 million and 11 Grand Slam titles over the last five years.

5. Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant was the hottest agent in the summer where he scored an average of 27.4 career points per game and is among the best active players. He is among the richest athletes in one of the highest paid sport. The basketball player earned a total of $56.2 M in the 2015-2016 season having earned a salary of $20.2 M and endorsement of $36 M.

4. Roger Federer

Roger Federer is the richest athletes as compare to other tennis players. It has been four years since the Tennis player win his 17th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2012. He emerges to be one of the best paid athletes in the last season having earned a total of $67.8 M. His earning majorly includes salary as he earned a total of $60 M in salary and $7.8 M in form of endorsements.

3. LeBron James

LeBron James worn six NBA Finals consecutively, an achievement that no one else has accomplish in the last 50 years since the dynasty of the Boston Celtics. Although sales of Jame’s signature shoes were down in the last season, the sales is expected to improve in the near future and his contract is likely to earn over $1 billion. The highest paid basketball athlete earned a total of $77.2 M per year, which composes of $ 23.2 M salary and $ 54 M endorsement.

2. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is a player of the most popular and word’s highest paid sport. He worn FIFA’s player of the year award for five years consecutively. He was the first one to attain the 300 goals target in La Liga and his contract is loaded with bonuses, which make him one of the richest athletes in the world. In the last season alone, Messi earned $53.4 salary and $28M endorsement totaling up to $81.4 M.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo managed to maintain his lead as the world’s highest paid athlete. He plays the highest paid sport, soccer, where he manages to win the European Golden Shoe ward for the fourth time consecutively. Ronaldo is the most popular athlete with over 200 million social media flowers, which has enabled him earned a salary of $56 M and endorsement of $32 M, totaling up to $88 M in the last season alone.