10 Biggest Contracts in Sports History [Ranked]

Baseball stars dominate the top 10 highest sports contracts, with four entries. Football legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi surprisingly only rank 3rd and 4th respectively. Juan Soto claims the top spot with a record £598.

2m Mets deal after recently being assigned to free agency. As the world of sport evolves from its humble origins into a multi-billion-pound powerhouse, the contracts awarded to athletes are soaring to astonishing new heights each year. For football fans of a certain generation, the name Johnny Haynes of Fulham will forever be etched in history as the first player to secure a £100-per-week contract back in 1962—a figure that, at the time, seemed almost unimaginable.



Fast-forward to 2005, and Steven Gerrard made history as the first Premier League player to command a staggering £100,000 per week. Today, that figure is no longer extraordinary, with over 30 players now earning such sums . At the pinnacle of this financial arms race stands Kevin de Bruyne, whose weekly wage of £400,000 serves as a breathtaking reminder of how far the game has come.

However, it’s not just football where athletes are raking in a fortune. The franchise model in the USA has paved the way for stars in sports like baseball and the NFL to earn substantial paydays, while other sports such as boxing and golf continue to grow in prominence. With this in mind, we have taken a deep dive into the 10 biggest contracts in sporting history, thanks to Marca's latest report.

The 10 Biggest Contracts in Sports History [Ranked] Rank Athlete Sport Nationality Employer Contract 10. Canelo Alvarez Boxing Mexico DAZN 2018-2023, £281.9m 9.

Mookie Betts Baseball USA Los Angeles Dodgers 2021-2033, £285.8m 8. Mike Trout Baseball USA Los Angeles Angels 2019-2030, £334m 7.

Karim Benzema Football France Al-Ittihad 2023-2025, £335.1m 6. Patrick Mahomes American Football USA Kansas City Chiefs 2021-2031, £393.

9m 5. Jon Rahm Golf Spain LIV 2023-2029, £411.1m 4.

Cristiano Ronaldo Football Portugal Al-Nassr 2022-2025, £420m 3. Lionel Messi Football Argentina Barcelona 2017-2021, £527m 2. Shohei Ohtani Baseball Japan Los Angeles Dodgers 2023-2033, £547.

3m 1. Juan Soto Baseball Dominica New York Mets 2024-2039, £599m 10-6 Canelo Alvarez is no stranger to huge paydays, with modern boxing purses often defying all concepts of reality, but his recent deal was reportedly worth an eye-watering £281.9m ($360m).

During that time, the Mexican boxer lost just once - via decision in favour of Dmitry Bivol - while he has won the other five, making it to round 12 on each occasion. Following him in ninth place is Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the second of four baseball stars on the list after Juan Soto. Betts signed a 12-year contract in 2021, believed to be worth £285.

8m ($365m). While the Dodgers celebrated winning the World Series, their success has come at a fair price, with deferred payments for just seven players now exceeding £783m ($1 billion) for the three-peat West Division champions. In eighth place is Mike Trout, thanks to his £334m ($426.

5m) 12-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels, signed five years ago. An 11-time MLB All-Star, and a three-time American League MVP, the New Jersey native centre fielder is fully deserving of such a luxury after he was also named USA's captain during the 2023 Baseball Classic. In seventh, is the first footballer—though it’s likely not one of the top three names you'd expect.

Karim Benzema’s move from Real Madrid to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League was a surprising one, especially given his Ballon d'Or win at the time. However, it seems he signed incredibly favourable terms to make the switch, and the allure of the Middle East has been a difficult one to turn down for many players looking for one last payout. The Frenchman's deal is reportedly worth £335.

1m ($428m) from 2023 to 2025, and remarkably, it's not even the biggest in his league, let alone the sport. This is contrast to Patrick Mahomes , who, according to Marca, signed the sixth-biggest sports contract in history with a £393.9m ($503m) deal in 2021 - making him the highest-earner on the gridiron.

Four out of the top 10 all play their football in the Saudi Pro League. The Kansas Chiefs' star quarterback's contract was a 10-year extension that will see him remain at the franchise until 2031, when he could surpass Tom Brady's record seven Super Bowl rings after already acquiring two in the last three years. GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Patrick Mahomes has started 129 games and has only lost by more than one possession 5 times.

5-1 After Mahomes, in fifth, comes Jon Rahm, golf's sole representative on Marca's list thanks to his deal to join LIV in 2023. The Spanish two-time major winner's contract with the breakaway Saudi circuit runs up until 2029, and is thought to earn him some £411.1m ($525m) for his enviable troubles.

But while the lack of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi so far - the duopoly that has dominated the most popular sport in the world over the last two decades - will bring about fair assumptions that they operate first and second on the money ladder, they instead place third and fourth. Ronaldo is on a reported £420m ($536m) deal, joining Al-Nassr in late 2022 on a three-year deal. In a move that arguably helped elevate the Saudi Pro League as a competing force to European football in recent years, Ronaldo appears to have been handsomely rewarded for his decision to move to Saudi Arabia, not including his earnings from social media.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Cristiano Ronaldo's new YouTube channel took less than one day to hit 14 million subscribers. He holds the record for the fastest YouTube channel to hit one million subscribers, doing so in the length of a match (90 minutes). The former Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus icon is the highest-paid player in world football.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to surpass his Argentine rival, though. Messi's final contract at Barcelona, from 2017 to 2021, reportedly netted him £527m ($674m). While the Euro 2016 winner had to leave European football behind to secure his highest salary, his adversary earned the most while at the peak of his powers, playing for the club where he won eight Ballon d'Or mantles.

Despite football's global appeal, its highest-earning stars still fall short of the top positions held by baseball, which dominates the top two spots on this list. Shohei Ohtani, a pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers, takes second place with a staggering £547.3m ($700m) contract running from 2023 to 2033.

Despite battling an elbow injury, the Japanese sensation delivered a record-breaking season, leading the Dodgers to their first championship since 2020. And finally, reigning supreme at the top of the list is Juan Soto. His monumental 15-year deal with the Mets will see him rake in £598.

2m ($765m)—enough to cover Ohtani’s contract with a cool £51m to spare for himself. The former Yankees outfielder hit 41 home runs in 2024 before entering free agency. While the Dominican slugger must still complete a medical, the Major League Baseball (MLB) website claimed that he will receive a £58.

7m ($75m) bonus with no deferred money. All statistics courtesy of Marca (correct as of 11/12/2024).