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Slide Show: The World's 50 Top-Earning Athletes

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The World's 50 Top-Earning Athlete

SThe Forbes SportsMoney 50-50 is the first time we've ranked the 50 most valuable teams and the 50 top-earning athletes across all sports. Here's how the athletes stack up.


Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images

No. 1: Tiger Woods

Sport: golf

Income: $105 million

Age: 35

Nike has built a $638 million (sales) golf division on Woods’ back, and pays the golfer $30 million annually.


Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

No. 2: Floyd Mayweather

Sport: boxing

Income: $65 million

Age: 33

His May fight against Shane Mosley netted 1.4 million pay-per-view buys, the second-most lucrative non-heavyweight bout ever.


Noel Vasquez/Getty Images

No. 3: Kobe Bryant

Sport: basketball

Income: $48 million

Age: 32

Five-time NBA champ has the bestselling jersey in Asia, Europe and the U.S.


Andrew Redington/Getty Images

No. 4: Phil Mickelson

Sport: golf

Income: $46 million

Age: 40

World's second-ranked golfer has designed only one golf course in U.S., but has five projects on tap in China.


Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

No. 5: David Beckham

Sport: soccer

Income: $43.7 million

Age: 35

Former Armani pitchman is developing his own line of underwear and grooming products.


Julian Finney/Getty Images

No. 6: Roger Federer

Sport: tennis

Income: $43 million

Age: 29

The 16-time Grand Slam champion has 10-year endorsement deals including Nike, Wilson, Rolex and Jura.


Gustavo Caballero/WireImage

No. 7: LeBron James

Sport: basketball

Income: $42.8 million

Age: 26

Two-time MVP heads to Miami with sponsors Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Nike, State Farm and Upper Deck in tow.


Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

No. 8: Manny Pacquiao

Sport: boxing

Income: $42 million

Age: 32

Earned $35 million for fights against Joshua Clottey and Miguel Cotto before his May election to the Congress of the Philippines.


Nick Laham/Getty Images

No. 9: Eli Manning

Sport: football

Income: $39.9 million

Age: 29

The six-year, $97 million contract he signed in August made Manning the highest-paid player in the NFL.


Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

No. 10: Terrell Suggs

Sport: football

Income: $38.3 million

Age: 28

Ravens star signed six-year, $63 million contract last year that made him highest-paid linebacker in the NFL.


AP Photo/Nell Redmond

No. 11: Julius Peppers

Sport: football

Income: $36 million

Age: 30

Peppers signed a contract with Chicago in March that guarantees the five-time Pro Bowler $42 million.


Nick Laham/Getty Images

No. 12: Alex Rodriguez

Sport: baseball

Income: $35.9 million

Age: 35

A-Rod has signed the two biggest player contracts in the history of sports, with the latest paying him $275 million over 10 years.


Alex Livesey/FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

No. 13: Cristiano Ronaldo

Sport: soccer

Income: $35.8 million

Age: 25

Real Madrid paid a record $132 million transfer fee to Manchester United for the rights to Ronaldo, who did not get a cut of the deal.


Massimo Bettiol/Getty Images

No. 14: Kimi Raikkonen

Sport: motorsports

Income: $34 million

Age: 31

Raikkonen is racing rally cars after Ferrari bought out the last year of his contract to make room for Fernando Alonso.


Jeff Gross/Getty Images

No. 15: Philip Rivers

Sport: football

Income: $32.1 million

Age: 29

Only Steve Young has a higher career passing rating among QBs with at least 1,500 attempts.


Newscom

No. 16: Valentino Rossi

Sport: motorsports

Income: $32 million

Age: 31

Biggest star in MotoGP won his ninth World Championship title in 2009 for Yamaha.


Newscom

No. 17: Shaquille O'Neal

Sport: basketball

Income: $31 million

Age: 38

His low-priced brand of Dunkman sneakers has sold 80 million pairs since they were introduced in 1996.


Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

No. 18: Dale Earnhardt

Sport: motorsports

Income: $30 million

Age: 36

Junior failed to make the Sprint Cup Chase in 2009, but was still voted Nascar's most popular driver for a seventh straight year.


Bruce Kluckhohn/Getty Images

No. 19: Derek Jeter

Sport: baseball

Income: $29.7 million

Age: 36

Baseball's most prolific endorser is in the last year of his 10-year, $189 million contract with the Yankees.


Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

No. 20: Lewis Hamilton

Sport: motorsports

Income: $29 million

Age: 29

Reebok signed the Formula 1 star to be a global brand ambassador in 2008.


Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

No. 21: Yao Ming

Sport: basketball

Income: $28.4 million

Age: 30

Yao missed the entire 2009-2010 NBA season after foot surgery, but still collected his $16.4 million salary from the Rockets.


Nick Laham/Getty Images

No. 22: Tracy McGrady

Sport: basketball

Income: $28.2 million

Age: 31

NBA's highest-paid player last season scored only 245 points in 30 games for the Rockets and Knicks.


Newscom

No. 23: Fernando Alonso

Sport: motorsports

Income: $28 million

Age: 29

Two-time Formula 1 champion had his thumbs insured for $11 million by Ferrari team sponsor Santander.


ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images

No. 23: Michael Schumacher

Sport: motorsports

Income: $28 million

Age: 41

Schumi returned to Formula 1 this year when he agreed to race for Mercedes after a three-year absence.


Larry French/Getty Images

No. 25: Albert Haynesworth

Sport: football

Income: $27.3 million

Age: 29

Haynesworth received a $21 million bonus in April as part of the $100 million contract he signed with the Redskins in 2009.


Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty Images

No. 26: Lionel Messi

Sport: soccer

Income: $27 million

Age: 23

FIFA's Player of the Year has endorsement deals with Adidas, Gillette, Konami and Pepsi.


John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

No. 27: Jeff Gordon

Sport: motorsports

Income: $26.9 million

Age: 39

Four-time Sprint Cup champ is co-owner of the No. 48 car driven by another four-time champion, Jimmie Johnson.


Alexis C. Glenn /UPI/Newscom

No. 28: Dwyane Wade

Sport: basketball

Income: $26.8 million

Age: 28

Wade's new six-year, $107.5 million contract is worth $2.6 million less than the deals signed by his two new superstar teammates.


Rob Tringali/Sportschrome/Getty Images

No. 29: Demarcus Ware

Sport: football

Income: $26.7 million

Age: 28

Four-time Pro Bowler inked a six-year, $78 million contract extension with the Cowboys in October.


AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

No. 30: Ichiro Suzuki

Sport: baseball

Income: $26 million

Age: 37

Japan's best-ever baseball export is in the middle of a five-year, $90 million deal he signed with the Mariners in 2007.


Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

No. 31: Kaka

Sport: soccer

Income: $25.6 million

Age: 28

Brazilian soccer star counts Adidas and Sony among his biggest endorsement deals.


Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

No. 32: Ronaldinho

Sport: soccer

Income: $25.1 million

Age: 30

Two-time FIFA Player of the Year was left off Brazil's World Cup squad in South Africa.


Andy Lyons/Getty Images

No. 33: Peyton Manning

Sport: football

Income: $24.8 million

Age: 34

Four-time NFL MVP will likely be the league's highest-paid player when he signs his next contract with the Colts.


AP Photo/Eric Gay

No. 34: Tim Duncan

Sport: basketball

Income: $24.7 million

Age: 34

NBA's fourth-highest-paid player at $22.2 million adds to income through deals with Adidas, Sprite, H-E-B and Gunn Automotive.


Julian Finney/Getty Images

No. 35: Maria Sharapova

Sport: tennis

Income: $24.5 million

Age: 23

Biggest deal is with Nike, which re-signed Sharapova in January to an eight-year deal worth up to $70 million.


AP Photo/John Raoux

No. 36: Dwight Howard

Sport: basketball

Income: $24.2 million

Age: 25

Warner Bros. and Adidas are producing a Superman-inspired line of merchandise featuring Howard.


Christophe Elise/Icon SMI/Newscom

No. 37: Jermaine O'Neal

Sport: basketball

Income: $24 million

Age: 32

Injuries have slowed O'Neal, but he made $23 million in last year of his contract, third-highest in NBA.


Christian Petersen/Getty Images

No. 38: Carmelo Anthony

Sport: basketball

Income: $23.8 million

Age: 26

VH1 show on the wedding planning and ceremony between Anthony and Lala Vazquez is scheduled for the fall.


AP Photo/David Ramos

No. 39: Thierry Henry

Sport: soccer

Income: $23.5 million

Age: 33

Reebok and Gillette pitchman is heading to U.S. to suit up for an MLS squad.


Hunter Martin/Getty Images

No. 40: Ernie Els

Sport: golf

Income: $23 million

Age: 41

Big Easy is PGA's leading money winner so far in 2010 at $3.9 million.


Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

No. 40: Jimmie Johnson

Sport: motorsports

Income: $23 million

Age: 35

Four-time Sprint Cup champion signed a six-year extension at end of 2009 to drive for Hendrick Motorsports.


Nick Laham/Getty Images

No. 42: Jake Delhomme

Sport: football

Income: $22.4 million

Age: 35

Carolina Panthers had to pay Delhomme $12.5 million when they released the QB in March.


AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

No. 42: Kevin Garnett

Sport: basketball

Income: $22.4 million

Age: 34

Big Ticket's $16.4 million salary with the Celtics last season was an $8.4 million pay cut from the prior year.


Christian Petersen/Getty Images

No. 44 Amare Stoudamire

Sport: basketball

Income: $21.9 million

Age: 28

The All-Star free agent forward signed a five-year, $100 million contract this summer to play for the Knicks.


Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

No. 45: Dirk Nowitzki

Sport: basketball

Income: $21.8 million

Age: 32

The former MVP opted out of his Mavericks contract this summer before re-signing with the team for $80 million over four years.


Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

No. 45: Paul Pierce

Sport: basketball

Income: $21.8 million

Age: 33

Pierce has deals with Nike, Spalding, Steiner Sports, Yahoo Sports and insurer UCI to supplement his $19.8 million salary.


Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

No. 47: CC Sabathia

Sport: baseball

Income: $21.4 million

Age: 30

Yankees signed Sabathia to largest contract ever for a pitcher before 2009 season worth $161 million.


Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

No. 47: Matthew Stafford

Sport: football

Income: $21.4 million

Age: 22

The 2009 No.1 pick signed a six-year, $72 million deal with Lions, richest ever for a draft choice.


Albert Pena/Cal Sport Media/Newscom

No. 49: Vince Carter

Sport: basketball

Income: $21.3 million

Age: 33

Carter has one year left on his contract with the Magic that will pay him $17.3 million.


AP Photo/Bas Czerwinsk

No. 50: Lance Armstrong

Sport: cycling

Income: $21 million

Age: 39

Nike has sold more than 70 million of its ubiquitous LiveStrong bracelets, inspired by Armstrong to fund cancer research.