(Reuters) - Barcelona and Argentina striker Lionel Messi dethroned five-division boxing world champion Floyd Mayweather as the highest paid athlete over the past year, according to the annual list published by business magazine Forbes on Tuesday. Messi, who scored 36 goals while leading Barcelona to the La Liga title this year, earned $127 million (£100 million) between his salary and endorsements to move up one spot on the list of the world's 100 highest-paid athletes. American football was the next most-represented sport with 19 players, followed by baseball with 15, and soccer with 12. According to Forbes, the highest-paid athletes of its list collectively earned $4 billion over the last 12 months, up 5% from last year's earnings of $3.8 billion. Forbes also said Americans dominate the list with 62 athletes, which it credits to sky-high salaries in the major sports leagues.

Source: The Star June 11, 2019 21:56 UTC