Neymar, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo among top 25 fastest earners in sport

Seb Sternik
9 January 2022

Lionel MESSI of PSG in action during the Champion's League Paris Saint Germain v Manchester City football match at Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris

According to the latest report from the Online Betting Guide (OLBG), the three soccer superstars are able to earn a million dollars for less than one hour of work.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi may be in the latter stages of their careers, but that doesn't necessarily mean they come at a cheaper price.

Both men were involved in the two biggest stories of last summer's transfer window as Ronaldo moved back to Manchester United and Messi arrived at Paris Saint-Germain.

Latest research conducted by the OLBG found that both players are still among the top 25 fastest earners in sport.

The report took salaries of the world's biggest sports stars and divided it by the number of minutes they compete on the field, ring or even court.

Ronaldo, who annually earns in the region of £50,000,000, is 25th on the list - ahead of NBA stars James Harden and Stephen Curry but behind another basketball great, Anthony Davis.

According to the research, it takes Ronaldo a swift 53 minutes and 35 seconds to bag a million dollars. That's just over one half of soccer.

Messi, on the other hand, ranks two places above his great rival. The PSG forward needs just 43 minutes and 13 seconds on the field to bank the seven-figure sum.

Despite those impressive numbers, there is one soccer player who ranks higher.

In fact, it's Messi's PSG teammate Neymar who is the fastest earner, with an ability to bag a million dollars in just over half-an-hour.

While that may sound impressive, Neymar is only ranked 17th on the list and is proceeded by NFL, Boxing and UFC superstars.

The man who tops the chart is Conor McGregor. When looking at the Irishman's earnings and exact time spent in the ring, it takes less than a minute for the 33-year-old to add another million to his bank account.

Boxing's king of the super-middleweight division, Canelo Alvarez, takes second spot with an ability to make a million in just over two minutes.