Argentina vs Canada Copa America 2024 Match Preview, Head-to-head, Possible Lineups and Fantasy XI Prediction
Read the full match preview, head-to-head stats, possible starting lineups, and Fantasy XI Prediction of Argentina vs Canada Copa America 2024 match at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on 21st June, Friday
Lionel Scaloni's Argentina are all set to face Jesse Marsch's Canada in the opening fixture of the Copa America 2024 at the Mercedes-Benz Football Stadium, Atlanta in the United States. Argentina are the defending champions and are the favourites to lift the title once again. Lionel Messi's Argentina are one of the finest football teams in the world as they are not only the Champions of South America but the Champions of the World. Canada are ranked 48th in the FIFA rankings. They have a great squad to compete against the best South American nations. From possible starting XIs to Fantasy predictions, here is everything you need to know about theArgentina vs Canadamatch in the Copa America 2024.
Argentina are the current owners of the Copa America after they defeated Brazil in the 2021 final to win the tournament for the first time since 1993. Lionel Messi celebrated the first international trophy of his glittering career. Lionel Scaloni's side has been in brilliant form since their World Cup success, winning 13 and losing just one of their previous 14 matches.
In their two warm-up matches, Argentina registered a narrow 1-0 victory against Ecuador and then produced a free-scoring display against Guatemala. The defending champions are all set to start their campaign with a game against Canada. Lisandro Martinez is set to start over Nicolas Otamendi alongside Cristian Romero in central defence. Molina and Acuna will take care of the wings.
#SelecciónMayor ¡Es la hora! terminamos la preparación y ahora si arranca lo mejor. Se pone en marcha esta @CopaAmerica para el equipo albiceleste 🇦🇷
— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) June 19, 2024
Rodrigo De Paul and Mac Allister will definitely start but it will be interesting to see who Schaloni chooses between Enzo and Parades in the starting lineup. Messi will be looking to score his 108th international goal on Friday. Schaloni will probably start Alvarez instead of Lautaro Martinez and Di Maria is another player who will most likely come off the bench in the second half.
Practice ahead of the opening fixture | Image: Argentina (X)
Canada
While Argentina are 15-time winners of the Copa America, Canada will appear at the tournament for the first time, securing qualification to participate as one of the six CONCACAF teams in the competition. They had to play in the playoff after failing to qualify as one of the four best teams in the 2023-24 CONCACAF Nations League.
Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies will start and is set to operate in a back four alongside Alistair Johnston, Moise Bombito, and Derek Cornelius. Porto's Stephen Eustaquio will lead the team and is expected to line up in the middle alongside Watford's young talent Ismael Kone.
Lille marksman Jonathan David will provide one of his country's main goal threats. He has already scored 26 goals in 48 international appearances. Cyle Larin is not in great form and will try to get his confidence back by delivering a strong performance against Argentina on Friday.
Possible Starting XIs
Argentina's possible starting lineup: Emiliano Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Acuna; Alexis Mac Allister, Paredes, De Paul; Lionel Messi, Gonzalez, Julian Alvarez
Dembele became the 10th player to achieve the feat.
Football is the most popular sport in the world, as nearly every country participates in the sport. As a global sport, it can be extremely challenging to make it big in football, largely due to intense competition. And, if you are talking about winning the three biggest trophies in world football, it is a rare incident.
However, with some geniuses on the field, we have seen some remarkable football facts happening over the years. So, it gives us a chance to take a look at those players with great achievements and football facts. Today, we will take a look at those players who won the Champions League, FIFA World Cup and Ballon d'Or.
UFA Champions League
The Champions League is the biggest club tournament in Europe. Also, it is considered the best club football tournament in the world. The top clubs from the top-tier national leagues participate in this tournament.
The competition started in 1955, and since then, Real Madrid has been the most successful club in the tournament. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is the most successful player in the Champions League with 134 goals in the tournament.
The FIFA World Cup is the biggest international tournament in the world. 32 qualified countries compete with each other for the biggest prize in international football. Brazil is the most successful team in the World Cup with 5 titles.
Meanwhile, Miroslav Klose is the top scorer in the Football World Cup with 16 goals to his name.
Ballon d'Or
Ballon d'Or is the biggest individual prize in football. The award is given to the best player in the world for a single season. The award has been given to the players since 1956 and is the most prestigious individual award in football history.
However, from 2011-2015, the award was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year. Lionel Messi has won the most Ballon d'Or awards (8) than any other player in football history.
Football Facts: Players with Champions League, FIFA World Cup and Ballon d'Or
Ousame Dembele is the latest player to have won FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League and Ballon d'Or in his career.
As you already got the idea of how big these three trophies are in the football world, you can imagine how tough it can be to win all of them in a career.
There are only 9 players who have won Champions League, FIFA World Cup and Ballon d'Or in their career. Let's find them out in this special football facts segment.
#1 Sir Bobby Charlton
The England legend was the first player to achieve the feat of winning all the big trophies in football.
Booby Charlton spent 17 years at Manchester United when the club became one of the biggest football clubs in England. Charlton scored 115 goals in his club career before retiring in 1979.
Sir Bobby Charlton won the FIFA World Cup in 1966 and was adjudged the best player in the world, too.
He won the 1966 Ballon d'Or award. Charlton had scored 3 goals in that World Cup and had some major contributions to the team. He went on to win the European Cup/Champions League with Manchester United in 1968.
Nicknamed as the "Der Kiser (The Emperor)", Beckenbauer is the second player on our list of these special football facts.
The German was a defender known for his leadership skills and elegant football. The Bayern Munich legend won the Ballon d'Or award twice in 1972 and 1976.
Beckenbauer also managed to win three Champions League titles, which was called the European Champions' Cup. He won it with Bayern Munich in 1974, 1975 and 1976.
But the major success in his career came in 1974 when he won the FIFA World Cup. That was West Germany's second FIFA World Cup title.
Gerd Müller is regarded as one of the greatest football players in the history of the game. He has the most goals per match ratio (0.95) in the Champions League history.
The centre forward from Germany won 1 Ballon d'Or, 3 Champions League and 1 FIFA World Cup. Actually, it was his 15 years at Bayern Munich that made him the legend that he is.
Müller was a teammate of Beckenbauer, who won the 1974 FIFA World Cup. In fact, along with Beckenbauer, he played a major role in Bayern Munich winning the Champions League in three consecutive years in 1974, 1975 and 1976.
However, Müller won the Ballon d'Or only once in the year 1970.
#4 Paolo Rossi
The centre forward from Italy won it all when it comes to football. With 133 goals in his club career, he was one of the best of his time. The 1980s were a successful decade for him.
Rossi won the FIFA World Cup in 1982, and that made him earn the Ballon d'Or award as well. He was the top scorer of the 1982 FIFA World Cup with 6 goals.
Then the Italian legend went on to win the 1984/85 Champions League with Juventus FC. However, Rossi had nearly 11 transfers in his club career, which is quite astonishing as well.
The France international might be the most influential player in his country's recent football history. Zidane was known for his style of play, skills and control on the ball and goal-scoring ability.
The Juventus and Real Madrid legend managed to win the 1998 FIFA World Cup and then went on to win the 1998 Ballon d'Or as well.
Zidane won the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid. It was also the only Champions League he won in his career. However, the 2006 FIFA World Cup incident ended his international career infamously.
Rivaldo, the former Brazilian captain, had everything that a captain should have. Moreover, when you are representing the rich football history of Brazilian football, either you soak the pressure or you rise above it.
The Brazilian forward has 35 international goals in his career. Also, he has scored 233 goals in his club career as well. Rivaldo won the 1999 Ballon d'Or following Zidane's success in 1998.
Rivaldo won the FIFA World Cup in 2002 as a captain in Japan. Then, he went on to win the UEFA Champions League in the 2002-03 season with AC Milan as well, and this is how Rivaldo became the 6th player on our football facts list.
Ronaldinho is probably the most skilful player of this generation. If it were not for his lifestyle, he might have been the best to play the game. With his vision and dribbling skills, he was loved by everyone in the football world.
With 197 goals, Ronaldinho is one of the most successful midfielders of the last 20 years. His bonding with Kaka and his contribution to Messi's early career is still a beautiful football story.
Ronaldinho won the 2002 FIFA World Cup along with Rivaldo and Kaka. Then he went on to win the Ballon d'Or in 2005 and the UEFA Champions League in the 2005/06 season with Barcelona.
It is not astonishing to see that the most recent players to win the Champions League, World Cup, and Ballon d'Or are from Brazil. This is how good the Brazil team was at that time.
Along with Rivaldo and Rolandinho, Kaka won the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Then, while playing for AC Milan, he won everything in football. In 2007, he won the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan, and then he went on to win the Ballon d'Or also in the same year.
In addition to that, Kaka became the highest-paid footballer in the world after AC Milan extended their contract for nearly $12 million.
9. Lionel Messi
Probably the greatest player in football history and the most successful one ever, with 46 trophies, Lionel Messi was the ninth player to achieve the feat of winning the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League and Ballon d'Or.
Messi, the Argentine genius, won the Ballon d'Or award a record 8 times in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
While playing for FC Barcelona, Messi won the UEFA Champions League four times in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015. And then he went on to complete the circle with the triumph in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
10. Ousmane Dembele
France and PSG right winger Ousmane Dembele became the 10th player in the history of football to achieve the feat of winning the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League and Ballon d'Or.
28-year-old Dembele, who had already won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France, helped Paris St. Germain (PSG) win their first-ever UEFA Champions League title in 2025.
His incredible league stats and success with PSG in the Champions League also helped him bag the 2025 Ballon d'Or award as well.
Note: The article was first written in 2021 by Koushik Biswas and then got updated by Barnali Debnath on 23 September 2025.
21 goals? Who has scored the most goals in an official football match?
With Erling Haaland becoming the first since Austria’s Hans Krankl in 1977 to score five goals in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match, the question was raised about who has scored the most goals in an official football match.
Haaland cerebrating his goal against Moldova. Image | FootMob
Football, the beautiful game, is all about scoring goals and preventing someone from scoring goals. Whoever scores more goals wins a football game; that is why the goal scorers are one of the most important parts of a football team. With Erling Haaland becoming the first since Austria’s Hans Krankl in 1977 to score five goals in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match, the question was raised about who has scored the most goals in an official football match.
Haaland’s five goals in FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Haaland cerebrating his goal against Moldova. Image | FootMob
Inspired by Haaland’s remarkable accomplishment, scoring five times against Moldova to help Norway win 11-1 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, we decided to explore records for goal scorers in official matches.
Haaland, who already shares the record for most goals in a UEFA Champions League game (which we’ll discuss soon), looked dangerous from the start. Despite a cut on his face from a bus accident the previous day, he found the net in the 11’, 36’, 43’, 52’, and 83’ minutes at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadion.
But is this the most goals by a footballer in a FIFA World Cup qualifier match? The answer is NO.
Most goals in a FIFA World Cup qualifier match
Australia’s Archie Thompson holds the record for scoring the highest number of goals in a single FIFA World Cup qualifier match.
In the 2002 qualifying match, Thompson scored 13 goals against American Samoa, as the Aussies recorded a 31-0 win, the biggest victory in an international football match ever.
Has anyone scored five goals in a World Cup match?
Oleg Salenko of Russia scored five goals in a 6-1 win over Cameroon in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Image | Yahoo Sports UK
Since we are talking about the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, let’s know who has scored the most goals in a FIFA World Cup match.
Actually, only once has someone scored five goals in a FIFA World Cup match. Oleg Salenko of Russia scored five goals in a 6-1 win over Cameroon in the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA. This is still the record for the most goals scored in a FIFA World Cup match.
Lionel Messi was the first player to score five goals in the UEFA Champions League since the tournament got rebranded in 1992. Image @Squawka on X
Since we were talking about Haaland scoring five goals in a UEFA Champions League match, let’s get to know who has scored the most goals in a UEFA Champions League match.
Paul Van Himst, Gerd Müller, Claudio Sulser, Søren Lerby,Lionel Messi, Luiz Adriano, and Erling Haaland have the record of scoring five goals in a single UEFA Champions League match, which is the highest in the tournament’s history.
Now, with any further delay, let’s get into the stat you have come here to know. Who has scored the most goals in a single official match?
The record we will talk about is obviously taking first-class or fully professional matches for the country or club into consideration.
In Men’s football and overall,Yanick Manzizila of Sweden broke the record for the most goals scored in an official match by a player. Manzilila, in 2014, while playing for a club named Kongo United in the 9th division of Swedish football, scored 21 goals as Kongo United defeated Balrog Botkyrka Sodertalje by 30-0.
In Women’s football, Megi Doçi recently scored 16 goals in the 2024–25 Kategoria Superiore Femra on 16 March 2025. While playing for KFF Vllaznia, she surpassed her previous record of 14 goals as her team defeated KFF Lushnja by 23-0.
New Messi? Franco Mastantuono wears Argentina's No.10 jersey in FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Franco Mastantuono, the 18-year-old midfielder, who played just his second match for the Argentina senior team, surprised everyone by wearing Lionel Messi's iconic No.10 jersey in the game against Ecuador.
In the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers game against Ecuador, Argentina, and Real Madrid's new star, Franco Mastantuono, did something that no one imagined. In Argentina's 0-1 defeat against Ecuador, the 18-year-old midfielder came out wearing the No.10 jersey, a number that fans associate only with Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi for their great careers with the La Albiceleste.
Nicloas Otamendi's 31-minute last-man foul had already turned the defending champions into a 10-man team. A few minutes later, at the stroke of half-time, Enner Valencia converted the penalty for the home side to give Ecuador a 1-0 lead.
Post half-time, Ecuador was also reduced to 10 men after Moisés Caicedo, the Chelsea star, was shown the second yellow card of the match. That allowed Lionel Scaloni to look for goals and somehow equalise.
At the one-hour mark, the Argentine boss brought Franco Mastantuono from the bench to replace Leandro Paredes.
What happened after that stunned the crowd and everyone watching the match as Mastantuono came out wearing the Jersey No.10 in the absence of Lionel Messi.
Messi, who started with the No.19 jersey for the Argentine senior team, did an outstanding job of justice to the famous No.10 jersey of Diego Armando, who everyone hails as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
Which No. Mastantuono wear for Real Madrid?
With Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham and other stars being there, Mastantuono had to choose a number like 30 for the Real Madrid team. He was brought to Real Madrid from River Plate with a huge transfer fee of €45.00m, which is one of the highest for a teenager ever.
Mastantuono, to date, has only played two games for Argentina and has yet to score or assist for the senior team. With Real Madrid, he has appeared only three times so far and has yet to register any goal contributions.
Till now, along with the hosts USA, Mexico and Canada, fifteen other teams have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Tunisia, Colombia, and Morocco were the latest teams to qualify for the event.
The participating teams' line-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has started taking shape, as Iran and Argentina have booked their place from the qualification round into the finals of the tournament.
In 2022, the FIFA World Cupprovided an unforgettable experience for over 1 billion viewers who tuned in. LionelMessi-led Argentina to victory, giving the nation moments of joy and a fitting tribute to the late Diego Maradona while solidifying his place among players who have won every major trophy.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his team in their bid to improve the quality of the World Cup and promote inclusivity increased the number of teams that will participate in the World Cup from an initial 32 teams to 48 teams.
The teams will be split into 12 groups of 4 teams, with the top 2 of each group and the 8 best third-placed teams progressing to a new Round of 32,
The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The tournament will be the first hosted by three nations and the first North American World Cup since 1994 and will be the first World Cup since 2002 to be hosted by more than one nation.
Qualification for the World Cup is done based on the regions of the World. Each regional Confederation is responsible for its qualification tournament, which will consist of at least one round of competition using the following formats
Confederations can use a League format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group twice – once at home and once away.
A single round-robin format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group once, with the venues either drawn at random or assigned by the confederation with the agreement of the playing association
A Knockout format in which each team in a round plays one other team over two legs once at home and once away.
With FIFA's permission, a tournament is held in one of the participating nations or neutral territory.
With FIFA's permission, a single-leg knockout format.
Europe has 16 slots, Asia has 8 slots with one extra from playoffs making it 9, Africa has 9 slots with one extra coming from playoffs,South America has 6 with one extra coming from playoffs making a total of 7, North America has 6 slots with 3 already taken due to the host nations.
Teams That Have Qualified
With qualifications still ongoing, the only nations that have qualified are the host nations, namely the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada qualification process for the World Cup will be ongoing till the end of November 2025, and till then, teams will be struggling to qualify.
1. The USA
Despite not predominantly being a football nation, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) has managed to establish a formidable team with the likes of Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun.
The appointment of Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino as their head coach shows some sign of intent that the country intends to go as far as possible in the World Cup.
Mexico has qualified for every World Cup in the past decade, but playing on home soil will give them the advantage of fan support. While they may be without their veteran goalkeeper Ochoa, who has been crucial in past tournaments, they remain a team not to be underestimated.
Canada had a memorable 2022 World Cup in Qatar, highlighted by their surprising win against Belgium. However, they lost their remaining group games to Morocco and Croatia, leading to their early exit from the tournament.
Known for their attacking football, Canada relies on pace in midfield and attack, with Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies being key to their World Cup ambitions.
Teams from the Qualifier Rounds
4. Japan
Japan has become the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup from the qualification round. On March 20, Thursday, Hajime Moriyasu's side beat Bahrain 2-0 in Group C of the AFC World Cup qualifiers.
Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo scored in the second half to inspire the Samurai Blue to ensure their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance, guaranteeing a top-two finish in the qualifiers standings.
New Zealand has qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the third time with a 3-0 home win over New Caledonia in the OFC Qualifiers Final on Monday, March 24.
Three second-half goals from Michael Boxall, Kosta Barbarouses, and Elijah led New Zealand to a comfortable 3-0 win at Eden Park in Auckland. This win marks the All Whites' return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 when they registered three draws against Slovakia, Italy, and Paraguay in South Africa.
For the first time, the All Whites qualified directly for a World Cup, as Oceania received an automatic spot in next year’s 48-team tournament, rather than having to go through an intercontinental play-off as they did in the past.
6. Iran
(Image Credit | AFP)
Iran have become the second Asian side to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals following a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan on March 25 in the third round of the AFC World Cup Qualifiers Group A.
Mehdi Taremi's brace secured a point for Iran to stay atop the Group A table with 20 points in 8 matches, securing the guaranteed top two finish in the group stage. On the other hand, Uzbekistan is just one victory away from their inaugural World Cup appearance.
Tino pai to our fantastic national football team🙌 Mean as! Iran has secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the third team to qualify after Japan and @NZ_Football Ka mau te wehi 🇮🇷 This marks our fourth consecutive appearance after 2014,2018,and2022!#FIFAWorldCuppic.twitter.com/2RjE9j2gpa
— The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@iranembassy_nz) March 25, 2025
Despite the qualification format being made easier for Asia due to the expanded 48-team World Cup, Iran has sealed the passage to their fourth World Cup finals in a row, and seventh in their history.
In the AFC Qualifiers, the top two teams qualify directly for the World Cup, while the teams finishing third and fourth in the three Asian groups will enter an additional qualifying round.
7. Argentina
(Image Credit | EPA)
The reigning World Champions have stormed into the FIFA World Cup 2026 following a 4-1 crushing over eternal rivals Brazil in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers on March 26.
La Albiceleste currently top the table with 31 points in 14 matches, 16 points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela, with the required seven points at this point.
8. Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 as the 8th team to qualify till now. They have qualified in virtue of finishing in the top two in Group A of the AFC's third-round of qualifiers.
This is the first time they have qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Not only that, they are the first Central Asia country to qualify for the grandest stage of football.
South Korea qualified for their 11th straight FIFA World Cup after finishing in the top two of the AFC third round qualifiers. Tottenham's Son Heung-min, Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan, Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae and Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in all will be ready to star for South Korea in the upcoming World Cup.
Ali Olwan scored a hat-trick against Oman to take Jordan to their maiden FIFA World Cup
While South Korea sealed their spot at the FIFA World Cup with that 2-0 victory over Iraq, their win also ensured that Jordan will be playing at their first-ever FIFA World Cup next year.
Ali Olwan's hat-trick has given them a big 3-0 win over Oman, and after South Korea's win, they will now create history at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
In Group B of the AFC Third round qualifiers, Jordan lost only one match and finished in the top two of the group, below South Korea.
Socceroos confirmed their place at a sixth successive FIFA World Cup after beating Saudi Arabia by 2-1 in Saudi Arabia. Connor Metcalfe (42), Mitch Duke (48) scored for the Aussies to help them win after falling behind by a 19-minute goal from Abdulrahman Al-Aboud.
Australia have now confirmed the top spot in Group C in the AFC Third round qualifiers. Japan are leading Group C, which have already qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Brazil continued their run at the FIFA World Cup after ensuring qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026. They are the only team to qualify for every FIFA World Cup.
The Selecao defeated Paraguay by 1-0 as Vinicius Jr. handed a special gift to new Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti for his 66th birthday.
VINIIII JR.!!!!
TINHAA QUE SER ELE!! BELO PRESENTÃO DE ANIVERSÁRIO PARA O MISTER 🇧🇷🇧🇷
Paraguay became the 14th team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after their 0-0 draw against Ecuador on 4 September. This will be their first FIFA World Cup qualification since 2010.
PARAGUAY 🇵🇾 ARE GOING TO THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 🏆
They will be playing the FIFA World Cup first time since 2010!
With their 3-0 win over Peru on September 4, Uruguay reached a fifth successive World Cup. Rodrigo Aguirre, Giorgian De Arrascaeta, and Federico Vinas scored the goals for the South American nation.
16. Colombia
With their 3-0 victory over Bolivia on September 4, Colombia qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after missing out on the previous edition. James Rodriguez became the first Colombian player to score 30 international goals after Falcao (36).
Morocco became the first African nation to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after their thumping 5-0 victory over Niger.
With 21 points from seven games, they have earned a place in the showpiece.
18. Tunisia
The Carthage Eagles qualified for their seventh FIFA World Cup as they sealed a narrow 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea. A stoppage-time winner from Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane helped the North African nation to top Group H of the African Qualifiers with 22 points after 8 matches.
Cristiano Ronaldo leads the global earnings chart for the third consecutive time. Let’s take a look at the top 10 highest-paid athletes in the world and see how much they are earning.
In 2025, some of the world’s top athletes are earning huge amounts of money through their sports, brand deals and businesses. These athletes come from football, basketball, golf and other popular games. Their earnings include salaries, match winnings and endorsements from big companies. Let’s take a look at the top 10 highest-paid athletes in the world and see how much they are earning.
Kevin Durant’s Suns may not have made the playoffs, but his financial game stayed elite. His total earnings combine a $51.4 million salary with $50 million in off-court earnings through Boardroom Media and investments in Paris Saint-Germain.
He even has a soon-to-debut Netflix docuseries. His tequila brand, real estate moves, and a collaboration with Fanatics round out a sharp portfolio.
9. Shohei Ohtani | $102.5M
Though his Dodgers salary is deferred, Shohei Ohtani still walked away with $2.5 million in earnings plus postseason bonuses. But the reason he made it to this top-earners list is his headlining brand power.
Out of the total $102.5 million, $100 million came from endorsement deals across Japan and the U.S. That includes New Balance, Seiko, Beats by Dre, and a record-breaking Topps trading card sale.
8. Karim Benzema | $104M
The first footballer to enter the top 10, and for the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner, most of Karim Benzema's earnings have come from his hefty salary from his contract with Al-Ittihad, where he earns over $2 million a week, resulting in a $100 million annual salary.
Sponsors like Adidas remain loyal, even as he embraces a quieter lifestyle far from the European spotlight. Rumors now swirl about a possible shift to Major League Soccer as the 2026 World Cup nears.
7. Juan Soto | $114M
Juan Soto shattered expectations after signing a jaw-dropping 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets, even by baseball’s high-spending standards. His on-field take hit $109 million. And thanks to the buzz he generated, the Mets’ ticket sales surged following his signing.
At just 26, Juan’s popularity and endorsements by the likes of Call of Duty and top Dominican brands have made him baseball’s financial poster boy, earning $114 million this year.
6. LeBron James | $133.8M
LeBron James has amassed $133.8M, appearing in the sixth position. After more than two decades in the NBA spotlight, LeBron is still making history, not just on the court but also in his bank account.
While his Lakers stint earned him $48.8 million in salary, the larger story is off-court. His production company, SpringHill, is scaling up through a major merger, and he inked a deal to become the first athlete turned Ken doll.
5. Lionel Messi | $135M
Although he is the second-highest paid soccer player, Lionel Messi only ranks as the fifth-highest paid athlete. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner brought home $135 million.
To millions of people, Messi will forever be soccer’s GOAT. Naturally, his arrival in Major League Soccer wasn’t a mere player acquisition for Inter Miami but a transformative event for the league’s global standing. While his $60 million salary is a substantial figure, his endorsements with Adidas and Apple, alongside his own Mas+ beverage, earn him even more, around $75 million.
Dak Prescott, American professional football quarterback who plays for the Dallas Cowboys, earns $137 million this year. This quarterback-turned-financial-play-caller knows how to read a market as well as a defense.
First, Prescott made history with a contract structure that paid him $127 million in salary and bonuses within 12 months. Next were endorsements with Jordan Brand and Lowe’s that added another $10 million to his name. He’s also building a gym empire in Texas via Crunch Fitness partnerships.
3. Tyson Fury | $146M
Boxer Tyson Fury claimed third place with $146 million. Despite losing his world heavyweight titles to Oleksandr Usyk in December, Fury's income has been boosted by partnerships promoting Maltese tourism and his Netflix reality show named “At Home With the Furys.”
2. Stephen Curry | $156M
Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry comes 2nd on the list of highest-paid athletes of the year, earning $156 million. Curry became the first NBA player to reach 4,000 career three-pointers in March this year.
Of Curry's $156 million haul, $100 million comes from off-court dealings, including a major extension with Under Armour’s Curry Brand. He’s invested in everything from hydration startups to women’s basketball leagues. On the hardwood, he still drains threes while mentoring future stars at Davidson, where he now serves as an assistant GM.
For the third year in a row, and the fifth time overall, Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s highest-paid athlete. At age 40, the Portuguese soccer superstar is reaching new highs.
Over the past 12 months, counting both his playing salary at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr and his off-field business endeavors, Ronaldo collected an estimated $275 million before taxes and agent fees - the third-best year by an active athlete ever measured by Forbes. On that all-time list, Ronaldo is surpassed only by boxer Floyd Mayweather, who earned $300 million in 2015 and $285 million in 2018.
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