1. Juan Soto: New York Mets (MLB)
- Contract: 15 years, $765 million (potentially escalating to ~$805 million) ($53.67 million/year)
- Details: Signed in 2025, Soto’s deal includes a $75 million signing bonus and an opt-out clause after five years, contingent upon the Mets increasing the contract’s annual value by $4 million.
This contract is currently the largest in professional sports history.
2. Shohei Ohtani: Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB)
- Contract: 10 years, $700 million ($70M/year)
- Details: Ohtani’s deal, signed in 2024, is the largest in baseball history. It includes deferred payments, with the Dodgers paying him $70 million per year, although actual annual earnings may vary due to deferrals.
Despite the public financial issues that the superstar faced with his interpreter, Ohtani will have the chance to build generational wealth regardless. Not to mention, MLB contracts are fully guaranteed and their is no salary cap.
3. Lionel Messi: FC Barcelona (Soccer)
- Contract: 4 years, $674 million ($168.5M)
- Details: Messi’s contract, signed in 2017, included a renewal fee, a loyalty bonus, and an annual salary, making it one of the most lucrative contracts in soccer history.
Messi is considered to be the GOAT of Futbol, (or second depending on your side of the Renaldo beef) and the team he played for as a teen to the status he gained, decided that their success was primarily thanks to him.
So, they decided to pay Messi the largest sports contract of all-time, until MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets decided to tip the scales to the sport of baseball.
Messi also remains in third place place for the largest annual salary in sports history.
Messi is not just a legend on the turf, he has amassed a fortune that he will be unable to take with him, wealth that will last for decades if handled properly and passed down to the correct channels.
Trusts, IRA’s and physical assets will be the key in maintaining and growing Messi’s financial empire after he departs from not just the game of Futbol, but in life as well.
His family is extremely fortunate to say the least!
4. Cristiano Ronaldo: Al Nassr (Soccer)
- Contract: 2.5 years, $536 million ($214.4 million/year)
- Details: Ronaldo’s deal with the Saudi Arabian club, signed in 2023, is one of the richest in soccer, reflecting his global stature and marketability.
Renaldo is arguably the best Futbol player of all-time, if not second depending on who you choose as your GOAT.
He has all of the accolades and championships anybody in pro sports could want and so his focus seemingly has shifted towards collecting the biggest bag possible.
A solid strategy for someone who is declining and reaching the age of retirement.
Between his career earnings, the cost of living in the countries he plays in and his personal assets and investments, Renaldo and his grandkids grandkids are set for life.
5. Patrick Mahomes: Kansas City Chiefs (NFL)
- Contract: 10 years, $450 million
- Details: Signed in 2020, Mahomes’ contract is the largest in NFL history, underscoring his status as one of the league’s premier quarterbacks.
On paper it seems that this deal was a poor choice by the Mahomes financial camp, due to the exponential growth in the salary cap at the QB position in the last half decade.
However, it is also the reason that the Kansas City Chiefs have been able to remain dominant, as the team can afford other top talent around the “Baby GOAT”, while Mahomes has plenty of opportunities outside of his yearly salary to generate income.
An income, that 1% or less of the population will ever receive or even collect in their entire lifetime.
It is safe to say that Mahomes is satisfied with being worth hundreds of millions of dollars while competing for rings year in and year out.
6. Karim Benzema: Al Ittihad (Soccer)
- Contract: 2 years, $447 million ($223.5 million/year)
- Details: Benzema’s contract with the Saudi Arabian club, signed in 2023, is among the top in soccer, highlighting the growing financial power of the Saudi Pro League.
Benzema, while being 6th place for the largest total contract value in sports history, is the highest paid athlete annually in the world.
The forward makes more per year than both Renaldo and Messi, wild to say the least, but the truth of the numbers.
Some guys are in it for legacy. The smart ones look for the biggest paychecks.
7. Mike Trout: Los Angeles Angels (MLB)
- Contract: 12 years, $426.5 million (~$35.54 million/year)
- Details: Trout’s deal, signed in 2019, was the largest in MLB at the time and remains one of the most significant contracts in sports.
While the Los Angeles Angels have not had the success they likely should have, considering they once had Ohtani and Trout on the same roster, the team is still in the LA market.
Which, is one of, if not the city that generates the most money from entertainment in the world.
While Trout unfortunately does not have the best resume when it comes to rings and accolades on the diamond, he will be remembered as one of the most underrated stars of all-time.
Next Reads
- Juan Soto Signs the Biggest Contract in MLB History
- Highest-Paid MLB Players of 2025
- Top 5 Longest NHL Contracts In History
- The Largest NFL Contracts From 2015-2025
- Top 5 Wealthiest Golfers of All Time
Credits
Written by: Aidan Anderson
Research and Analysis: Apostle Sports Media LLC
Sources: Spotrac, MLBPA, FIFA, MLB database, NFL database, Forbes, interviews, Public Tax Filings, APSM Proprietary Analysis.
Featured Image: Public Domain / Wiki Commons
Disclaimer: This article contains general financial information for educational purposes and does not constitute as professional advice.
