Where are Messi and Ronaldo? Baseball player breaks world record for contract value in sport

Dominican baseball star Juan Soto has signed a 15-year deal with the New York Mets worth a staggering $765 million. This historic agreement has set a new global record for the highest total contract value in sports, leaving footballers in secondary roles.

Soto broke the record for the most expensive contract in sports history by total value, surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s previous mark. However, when it comes to yearly earnings, footballers still dominate, and by a significant margin.

The most lucrative contracts in sports history

1. Juan Soto (baseball) – New York Mets: $765 million over 15 years (around $51 million per year)
2. Shohei Ohtani (baseball) – Los Angeles Dodgers: $700 million over 10 years ($70 million per year)
3. Lionel Messi (football) – Barcelona: $674 million over 4 years (approximately $168.5 million per year)
4. Cristiano Ronaldo (football) – Al-Nassr: over $536 million for 2.5 years (around $214.5 million per year)
5. Patrick Mahomes (American football) – Kansas City Chiefs: $450 million over 10 years ($45 million per year)
6. Karim Benzema (football) – Al-Ittihad: approximately $450 million over 2 years (around $223 million per year)
7. Mike Trout (baseball) – Los Angeles Angels: $426.5 million over 12 years (over $35.5 million per year)
8. Canelo Álvarez (boxing) – DAZN: $365 million over 5 years ($73 million per year)
9. Mookie Betts (baseball) – Los Angeles Dodgers: $365 million over 12 years (over $30 million per year)
10. Aaron Judge (baseball) – New York Yankees: $360 million over 9 years ($40 million per year)