25 Sports Celebrities Who Redefined Athletic Endorsements

Lionel Messi is the second-highest-paid athlete in the world. Shutterstock

15. Lionel Messi

Coming in only behind the boxer Floyd Mayweather, Lionel Messi makes $80 million a year playing soccer. Shutterstock

In 2017, he signed a lifetime deal with the athletic apparel brand Adidas, but the size of that contract has not yet been made publicly available. Besides Adidas, he has been prominently featured by Pepsi and Gatorade’s beverage brands, along with the technology brand Huawei.