6. Luke Wilkshire
Soccer

$5.0 million

A surprising inclusion as the best paid soccer player and evidence of the sport’s generational change. Contracted to play with Russian club Dynamo Moscow until 2014, the 30 year old is an important member of the Socceroos team.

8. Tim Cahill
Soccer

$4.5 million

Cahill recently halted his long career in the English Premier League to become one of the highest-paid soccer players in the United States. He plays with the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and has endorsement deals with adidas and Weet-Bix, among others.

13. Mark Schwarzer
$3.5 million

Soccer

The veteran goalkeeper is one of the first selected in the Socceroos and plans to continue playing until after the 2014 World Cup. He plays club football for Fulham in the English Premier League.

14. Brett Holman
$3.5 million

Soccer

Holman’s pay got a boost when he transferred from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar to the UK’s Aston Villa this year. He was named Australian footballer of the year.

24. Mark Bresciano
$2.2 million

Soccer

Moved from one Middle East club to another this year and now finds himself in Qatar playing for Al-Gharafa. Top scorer at Al-Nasr last year.

29. Scott McDonald
$2.0 million

Soccer

He is believed to have turned down a chance to triple his salary by moving to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. He has been in good form at Middlesborough.

41. Lucas Neill
$1.5 million

Soccer

Left Al-Jazira to join another United Arab Emirates club Al-Wasl in August. Benefits from the country’s tax-free status.

44. Adam Federici
$1.3 million

Soccer

Agreed to three more years at Reading in August. Has been at the English club since 2004 and has benefited from its promotion to the Premier League.

ALMOST THERE

Missing the Top 50 Sports Earners list doesn’t mean you have had a bad year. BRW estimates that there are at least another 20 sportspeople who have made at least $1 million from their involvement in professional sport in 2012. Here they are.

Brett Emerton (Soccer)

Chris Herd (Soccer)

Rhys Williams (Soccer)

Brad Jones (Soccer)

Saša Ognenovski (Soccer)

BRW are a fair way off target if they think that Emerton is anywhere near $1m/year.

Not trying to start a code war, but i do like the fact the no AFL player makes the list until number 25.

Is that any surprise? There is only one professional league in the world...and it is salary capped.

And it is a shit sport.

I like that there are only 4 VFL players on the list, and my knowledge of them is as follows:

25. Gary Ablett (AFL): $2 million - I have heard of his dad
34. Tom Scully (AFL): $1.8 million - Never heard of him
36. Israel Folau (AFL): $1.5 million - Rugby player who decided he would take a million dollar pay cut to avoid having to play the stupid Victorian game ever again
45. Chris Judd (AFL): $1.2 million - Heard of him, don't know his position or club though.

I am a sports nut, not just football but like most people in the 207.5 countries where that stupid game isn't played I have no idea who their "world famous in Melbourne" superstars are.

Is that any surprise? There is only one professional league in the world...and it is salary capped.

And it is a shit sport.

I like that there are only 4 VFL players on the list

afl is shit

Your call, but its doing pretty well without your support.

Not trying to start a code war, but i do like the fact the no AFL player makes the list until number 25.

also, I didnt realise cricketers got paid so much

I love it how you call it VFL when the current premiers are from your own backyard.

In today's money and at his peak, Harry Kewell would be earning $15 to $20M/year.

In today's money and at his peak, Harry Kewell would be earning $15 to $20M/year.

So... More than Ronaldo and Messi?

Har har no ALF playaz on dat list lulz

-PB

Including endorsements, Ronaldo is estimated to be earning about $50M/year.

25. Gary Ablett, salary cap concessions for AFL's corporate interest.

45. Chris Judd "The only AFL player to make the list without relying on salary cap concessions for expanding clubs. Salary includes controversial Visy deal." Don't know what the deal is but I know Visy is an admitted price fixer.

Number 36 Israel Folau doesn't count because of course as he may have drawn a paycheck from the AFL he is in no way an AFL player: "One of AFL’s worst players this year, Folau was also one of its best paid. He was signed by Greater Western Sydney before its debut season last year as a marketing stunt. After failing to establish himself, he quit the game at the end of the season". Number 35 is also interesting, a guy called Saverio Rocca who left AFL to go to the NFL.

The Judd Visy deal has been all over the sports news down here last few weeks as it looks like it will no longer be counted outside the salary cap. Think it was either 200 or 250k a year extra for being a consultant for Visy though no one seems to sure what exactly he does (and they also mentioned something about another 18-19 Carlton players on the books for Visy in some capacity, but I never heard anything more apart from the brief mention)

Except we're not talking about endorsements, until you brought it up

Cricketers have traditionally made most of their money from sponsorships. Now they are picking up all these extra $$$ from the 20/20 tournaments (Big Bash, IPL, etc.).

Yes we were, all these figures throughout the piece have included endorsements.

http://www.forbes.com/athletes/

Ronaldo, Beckham, Messi, Rooney, Aguero, and Kaka all make above US$20 mil with Torres and Yaya Toure just behind.

Kewell probably would have been closer to $10-15 mil a year but you have to remember he was on at least 3 Million pounds a year, which would have been somewhere around Aus$9 mil in 2003,plus he would have received massive sponsorship in England and especially Australia given he was the most recognizable face for football over here.