When it comes to sports contracts, some athletes are making millions of dollars per year. But who has the biggest sports contract in the world? Let`s take a closer look.
As of 2021, the athlete with the biggest sports contract in the world is baseball player Mike Trout. He signed a 12-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels in 2019 worth $430 million. That breaks down to an average annual salary of $35.8 million.
Trout is widely considered one of the best players in baseball history. He`s won three American League MVP awards and has been an All-Star every year since 2012. It`s no surprise that the Angels were willing to shell out such a large contract to keep him on their team.
Trout`s contract dwarfs the next-largest sports contract in the world, which belongs to soccer player Lionel Messi. In 2017, Messi signed a contract extension with Barcelona that was worth $674 million over four years. That works out to an average annual salary of $168.5 million.
Messi is one of the most talented and successful soccer players of all time. He`s won numerous awards, including seven Ballon d`Or trophies. He`s also been a key player for Barcelona for over a decade.
Other athletes with large sports contracts include:
– Canelo Alvarez: The boxer signed a 10-fight contract with streaming service DAZN in 2018 worth $365 million. That works out to an average of $36.5 million per fight.
– Bryce Harper: The baseball player signed a 13-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019 worth $330 million. That breaks down to an average annual salary of $25.3 million.
– Gerrit Cole: The baseball pitcher signed a 9-year contract with the New York Yankees in 2019 worth $324 million. That works out to an average annual salary of $36 million.
– Christiano Ronaldo: The soccer player signed a 4-year contract with Juventus in 2018 worth $117 million. That works out to an average annual salary of $29.3 million.
Overall, sports contracts for top athletes continue to rise as teams and organizations compete for the best talent. While Mike Trout holds the title for the biggest sports contract in the world, it`s likely that we`ll see even larger deals in the future as salaries continue to climb.