Watching sports, rooting for teams, and celebrating successful players are wildly cherished pastimes around the world. As with other industries, that passion equals profit. In fact, the sports industry is now estimated to be worth more than $500 billion! Whether it’s football, soccer, basketball, or baseball, playing a sport for a major team and achieving stardom can be massively lucrative. Of course, the sport plays a significant factor in how much professional sports players are paid. The largest soccer contract of all time is worth $673,919,105 for Lionel Messi, and this is also the largest contract in sports history. Nearly $200 million less, the largest football contract of all time is worth $503,000,000 for Patrick Mahomes. In third place is the largest baseball contract of all time, which is a 12-year contract for Mike Trout paying $426,500,000. The largest basketball contract of all time does not even make the top ten, clocking in at $228,000,830 for Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The 25 Largest Sports Contracts of All Time infographicThe 25 Largest Sports Contracts of All Time Transcript
Based on Average Pay per Year
| Name, Organization, Sport | Average per Year | Average per Game | Contract Length | Contract Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi, FC Barcelona, Soccer | $168,479,776 | $3,743,995 | 4 years (2017-21) | $673,919,105 |
| Damien Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers, Basketball | $49,000,000 | $597,560 | 4 years (2021-25) | $196,000,000 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, Basketball | $45,640,166 | $556,587 | 5 years (2021-26) | $228,200,830 |
| Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers, Basketball | $44,066,367 | $537,394 | 4 years (2021-25) | $176,265,468 |
| John Wall, Washington Wizards → Houston Rockets, Basketball | $42,793,708 | $521,874 | 4 years (2019-23) | $171,174,820 |
| Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, Football | $41,916,667 | $2,619,791 | 12 years (2020-31) | $503,000,000 |
| Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder → Washington Wizards, Basketball | $41,358,814 | $504,375 | 5 years (2018-23) | $206,794,070 |
| Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors → Brooklyn Nets, Basketball | $41,063,925 | $500,799 | 4 years (2019-23) | $164,255,700 |
| Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz, Basketball | $41,000,000 | $500,000 | 5 years (2021-26) | $205,000,000 |
| Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors, Basketball | $40,231,758 | $490,631 | 5 years (2017-22) | $201,158,790 |
| Chris Paul, Houston Rockets → Phoenix Suns, Basketball | $39,932,648 | $486,983 | 4 years (2018-22) | $159,730,592 |
| Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans, Football | $39,000,000 | $2,437,500 | 6 years (2020-25) | $177,500,000 |
| LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, Basketball | $38,328,212 | $467,417 | 4 years (2018-22) | $153,312,846 |
| James Harden, Houston Rockets → Brooklyn Nets, Basketball | $38,000,000 | $463,414 | 6 years (2017-23) | $228,000,000 |
| Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors, Basketball | $37,980,720 | $463,179 | 5 years (2019-24) | $189,903,600 |
| Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees, Baseball | $36,000,000 | $222,222 | 9 years (2020-28) | $324,000,000 |
| Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers, Basketball | $36,000,000 | $429,024 | 5 years (2019-24) | $180,000,000 |
| Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels, Baseball | $35,541,667 | $219,393 | 12 years (2019-30) | $426,500,000 |
| Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks, Basketball | $35,500,000 | $432,926 | 5 years (2019-24) | $177,500,000 |
| Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers, Basketball | $35,448,672 | $432,301 | 5 years (2020-25) | $177,243,360 |
| Jimmy Butler, Philadelphia 76ers → Miami Heat, Basketball | $35,197,650 | $429,239 | 4 years (2019-23) | $140,790,600 |
| Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets → Boston Celtics, Basketball | $35,197,650 | $429,239 | 4 years (2019-23) | $140,790,600 |
| Anthony Rendon, Los Angeles Angels, Baseball | $35,000,000 | $216,049 | 7 years (2020-26) | $245,000,000 |
| Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals, Baseball | $35,000,000 | $216,049 | 7 years (2020-26) | $245,000,000 |
| Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks, Football | $35,000,000 | $2,187,500 | 7 years (2020-26) | $140,000,000 |
Top 10 Players Who Get Paid the Most per Game
| Name, Organization, Sport | Average per Game |
|---|---|
| Lionel Messi, FC Barcelona, Soccer | $3,743,995 |
| Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, Football | $2,619,791 |
| Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans, Football | $2,437,500 |
| Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks, Football | $2,187,500 |
| Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers, Football | $1,718,750 |
| Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts, Football | $1,449,218 |
| Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons, Football | $1,282,051 |
| Khalil Mack, Chicago Bears, Football | $1,215,517 |
| Damien Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers, Basketball | $597,560 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, Basketball | $556,587 |
The Top 10 Biggest Contracts of All Time
- Lionel Messi — $673,919,105
- Patrick Mahomes — $503,000,000
- Mike Trout — $426,500,000
- Mookie Betts (Los Angeles Dodgers – baseball) — $365,000,000
- Fernando Tatís Jr. (San Diego Padres – baseball) — $340,000,000
- Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies – baseball) — $330,000,000
- Giancarlo Stanton (Miami Marlins → New York Yankees – baseball) — $325,000,000
- Gerrit Cole (New York Yankees – baseball) — $324,000,000
- Manny Machado (San Diego Padres – baseball) — $300,000,000
- Alex Rodriguez (New York Yankees – baseball) — $275,000,000
Here are the top ten largest sports contracts of all time:
- Lionel Messi: $673,919,105 for a four-year soccer contract with FC Barcelona
- Patrick Mahomes: $503,000,000 for a 12-year football contract with the Kansas City Chiefs
- Mike Trout: $426,500,000 for a 12-year baseball contract with the Los Angeles Angels
- Mookie Betts: $365,000,000 for a 12-year baseball contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers
- Fernando Tatís Jr.: $340,000,000 for a 14-year baseball contract with the San Diego Padres
- Bryce Harper: $330,000,000 for a 13-year baseball contract with the Philadelphia Phillies
- Giancarlo Stanton: $325,000,000 for a 13-year baseball contract with the Miami Marlins
- Gerrit Cole: $324,000,000 for a nine-year baseball contract with the New York Yankees
- Manny Machado: $300,000,000 for a ten-year baseball contract with the San Diego Padres
- Alex Rodriguez: $275,000,000 for a ten-year baseball contract with the New York Yankees
Here are the top ten sports players who get paid the most per game:
- Lionel Messi (soccer): $33,181,818 per game
- Patrick Mahomes (football): $2,619,791 per game
- Dak Prescott (football): $2,500,000 per game
- Deshaun Watson (football): $2,437,500 per game
- Russell Wilson (football): $2,187,500 per game
- Jimmy Garoppolo (football): $1,718,750 per game
- Andrew Luck (football): $1,449,218 per game
- Trent Williams (football): $1,438,125 per game
- Matt Ryan (football): $1,282,051 per game
- Khalil Mack (football) $1,215,517 per game
While these sports contracts may seem astronomical, being a professional athlete is no walk in the park. Even just earning a spot among the stars requires immense cultivation of skill, determination, razor-sharp focus, and sacrifice. These players undergo grueling training and long hours in both the on and off seasons. Traveling also takes its toll, and players sacrifice quality time with family and friends to be at away games. So when you’re reading about the biggest sports contracts of all time, consider all of the blood, sweat, and tears that go into those numbers!