Best-paid athletes from 182 countries

They're from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America -- and 17 sports

Updated: April 20, 2011, 7:49 PM ET
ESPN The Magazine

This story appears in the May 2, 2011, issue of ESPN The Magazine.

"Annual Salary" represents only base salary from the most recently completed season or calendar year from each sport, and excludes any other source of compensation, unless otherwise noted. In countries where official salary figures were unavailable, we estimated the number based on information from multiple sources, including leagues, agents, consulates, embassies, sports federations, cultural centers and the U.N. All figures converted to U.S. dollars. Per Capita GDP (Gross Domestic Product), a leading indicator of national wealth, is the market value of a country's goods and services divided by its population; we used most recently available GDP data for each country.

Sports represented: soccer 114, basketball 18, baseball 12, auto racing 6, golf 5, American football 5, hockey 5, cricket 4, boxing 3, track and field 3, rugby 2, tennis 2, badminton 1, cycling 1, motorcycle racing 1, sumo 1, yachting 1.

Country Best-Paid Athlete Sport League, Team (or Competition) Annual Salary Per Capita GDP
Albania Lorik Cana soccer Turkey, Galatasaray $2,500,000 $3,846
Algeria Nadir Belhadj soccer Qatar, Al Sadd $2,779,000 $4,029
American Samoa Domata Peko American football NFL, Cincinnati Bengals $2,950,000 $7,874
Andorra Ildefons Lima soccer Switzerland, AC Bellinzona $531,822 $43,770
Angola Manucho soccer Turkey, Manisaspor $865,579 $1,892
Argentina Carlos Tevez soccer EPL, Manchester City $19,000,000 $7,666
Armenia Henrikh Mkhitaryan soccer Ukraine, Shakhtar Donetsk $360,000 $2,770
Australia Andrew Bogut basketball NBA, Milwaukee Bucks $11,050,000 $47,615
Austria Thomas Vanek hockey NHL, Buffalo Sabres $6,400,000 $45,563
Azerbaijan Aleksandr Samedov soccer Russia, Dynamo Moscow $1,287,000 $4,871
Bahrain Abdullah Omar Ismail soccer Switzerland, Neuchatel Xamax $202,086 $24,409
Bangladesh Shakib Al Hasan cricket IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders $425,000 $550
Belarus Alexander Hleb soccer EPL, Birmingham City $3,300,000 $5,090
Belgium Vincent Kompany soccer EPL, Manchester City $5,340,000 $44,254
Benin Stephane Sessegnon soccer EPL, Sunderland $2,800,000 $739
Bermuda Reggie Lambe soccer England (D3), Bristol Rovers $480,000 $101,346
Bolivia Marcelo Moreno soccer Ukraine, Shakhtar Donetsk $883,449 $1,758
Bosnia Edin Dzeko soccer EPL, Manchester City $8,470,000 $4,525
Botswana Mogogi Gabonamong soccer South Africa, SuperSport United $354,000 $5,959
Brazil Felipe Massa auto racing Formula One $17,052,632 $8,114
Brunei Darussalam Craig Adams hockey NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins $550,000 $26,385
Bulgaria Dimitar Berbatov soccer EPL, Manchester United $6,700,000 $6,458
Burkina Faso Charles Kabore soccer France, Marseille $1,118,000 $517
Burundi Saidi Ntibazonkiza soccer Poland, MKS Cracovia $315,000 $151
Cameroon Samuel Eto'o soccer Serie A, Inter Milan $8,000,000 $1,136
Canada Jason Bay baseball MLB, New York Mets $18,125,000 $39,795
Cape Verde Cafu soccer Cyprus, Anorthosis Famagusta $287,000 $3,131
Central African Republic Eloge Enza Yanissi soccer France, Troyes $206,000 $448
Chad Misdongarde Betoligar soccer Serbia, FK Metalac $21,500 $610
Chile Mark Gonzalez soccer Russia, CSKA Moscow $9,324,958 $9,623
China Yao Ming basketball NBA, Houston Rockets $17,700,000 $3,769
Colombia Juan Pablo Montoya auto racing NASCAR $5,088,410 $5,031
Comoros Kassim Abdallah soccer France, CS Sedan Ardennes $120,000 $785
Cook Islands Stan Wright rugby union Magners League, Leinster $204,000 $9,749
Costa Rica Bryan Ruiz soccer Netherlands, FC Twente $1,720,828 $6,395
Ivory Coast Yaya Toure soccer EPL, Manchester City $18,200,000 $1,093
Croatia Luka Modric soccer EPL, Tottenham Hotspur $4,900,000 $14,273
Cuba Yuniesky Betancourt baseball MLB, Milwaukee Brewers $4,300,000 $5,437
Curaçao Jair Jurrjens baseball MLB, Atlanta Braves $3,250,000 $20,295
Cyprus Constandinos Charalambides soccer Cyprus, Apoel F.C. Nicosia $1,589,000 $29,263
Czech Republic Petr Cech soccer EPL, Chelsea $7,400,000 $18,344
Dem. Rep. of the Congo Herita Ilunga soccer EPL, West Ham United $2,730,000 $170
Denmark Daniel Agger soccer EPL, Liverpool $4,500,000 $56,687
Djibouti Ismail Ahmed Kadar Hassan soccer Slovakia, F.K. Dunajska Streda $51,500 $1,076
Dominican Republic Alfonso Soriano baseball MLB, Chicago Cubs $19,000,000 $4,618
Ecuador Antonio Valencia soccer EPL, Manchester United $6,361,983 $4,206
Egypt (Tie) Mohammed Zidan soccer Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund $2,580,000 $2,265
Mohamed Abu Treika soccer Egypt, Al Ahly $2,580,000
El Salvador Arturo Alvarez soccer MLS, Real Salt Lake $201,922 $3,424
England Lewis Hamilton auto racing Formula One $18,473,684 $35,239
Equatorial Guinea Rodolfo Bodipo soccer Spain (D2), Elche $430,000 $17,544
Eritrea Zersenay Tadese track and field Road running $340,000 $369
Estonia Ragnar Klavan soccer Netherlands, AZ Alkmaar $2,006,000 $14,374
Ethiopia Tilahun Regassa track and field Road running $318,250 $345
Faroe Islands Christian Holst soccer Denmark, Silkeborg $1,630,000 $32,800
Fiji Vijay Singh golf PGA Tour $1,334,262 $3,604
Finland Kimi Raikkonen auto racing World Rally Championship $26,333,333 $44,688
France Franck Ribery soccer Bundesliga, Bayern Munich $14,100,000 $41,226
French Guiana Florent Malouda soccer EPL, Chelsea $3,441,823 $8,300
Gabon Daniel Cousin soccer Greece, Larissa $645,000 $7,647
Gambia Ousman Jallow soccer Denmark, Brondby $314,000 $543
Georgia Zaza Pachulia basketball NBA, Atlanta Hawks $4,251,250 $2,522
Germany Dirk Nowitzki basketball NBA, Dallas Mavericks $17,278,618 $40,528
Ghana Michael Essien soccer EPL, Chelsea $5,500,000 $627
Greece Theodoros Papaloukas basketball Greece, Olympiakos $4,400,000 $29,006
Greenland Jesper Gronkjaer soccer Denmark, FC Copenhagen $923,440 $22,126
Guadeloupe Mickael Pietrus basketball NBA, Phoenix Suns $5,300,000 $7,900
Guatemala Carlos Ruiz soccer MLS, Philadelphia Union $306,670 $2,661
Guinea Ibrahima Yattara soccer Turkey, Trabzonspor $717,000 $470
Guinea-Bissau Almami Moreira soccer China, Dalian Aerbin $573,000 $517
Haiti Samuel Dalembert basketball NBA, Sacramento Kings $12,200,000 $626
Honduras David Suazo soccer Serie A, Inter Milan $5,716,476 $1,930
Hungary Zoltan Gera soccer EPL, Fulham $2,970,000 $12,886
Iceland Eidur Gudjohnsen soccer EPL, Fulham $2,538,000 $37,616
India Ms Dhoni cricket IPL, Chennai Super Kings $1,800,000 $1,075
Indonesia Bambang Pamungkas soccer Indonesia, Persija Jakarta $160,000 $2,349
Iran Hamed Haddadi basketball NBA, Memphis Grizzlies $1,600,000 $4,863
Iraq Nashat Akram soccer Qatar, Al-Wakrah $900,000 $830
Ireland John O'shea soccer EPL, Manchester United $6,800,000 $49,115
Israel Yossi Benayoun soccer EPL, Chelsea $6,859,267 $27,061
Italy Valentino Rossi motorcycle racing Moto GP $20,800,000 $35,289
Jamaica Ricardo Gardner soccer EPL, Bolton $2,613,074 $4,566
Japan Ichiro Suzuki baseball MLB, Seattle Mariners $18,000,000 $39,864
Jordan Odai Al-Saify soccer Cyprus, Alki Larnaca $145,000 $3,973
Kazakhstan Nik Antropov hockey NHL, Atlanta Thrashers $3,750,000 $6,981
Kenya McDonald Mariga soccer Serie A, Inter Milan $1,300,000 $739
Kuwait Bader Al-Mutwa soccer Saudi Arabia, Al-Nassr FC $400,000 $36,668
Kyrgyzstan Mirlan Murzaev soccer Israel, Hapoel Petah Tikva $150,000 $835
Latvia Andris Biedrins basketball NBA, Golden State Warriors $9,000,000 $11,505
Lebanon Youssef Mohamad soccer Bundesliga, FC Cologne $1,074,839 $8,175
Lesotho Lehlohonolo Seema soccer South Africa, Orlando Pirates $34,300 $780
Liberia Sekou Oliseh soccer Russia, CSKA Moscow $573,000 $216
Libya Tariq El Taib soccer Libya, Al Ahly Tripoli $1,130,000 $9,153
Liechtenstein Martin Stocklasa soccer Austria, SV Ried $978,800 $134,392
Lithuania Linas Kleiza basketball NBA, Toronto Raptors $4,995,000 $11,211
Luxembourg Andy Schleck road bicycle racing pro cycling $2,700,000 $108,706
Macedonia Goran Pandev soccer Serie A, Inter Milan $4,250,000 $4,662
Madagascar Anicet Andrianantenaina soccer France, AJ Auxerre $86,000 $448
Malawi Tamika Mkandawire soccer England (D2), Millwall $571,000 $318
Malaysia Lee Chong Wei badminton BWF Super Series $106,000 $6,967
Mali Frederic Kanoute soccer La Liga, Sevilla $8,600,000 $679
Malta Michael Mifsud soccer Malta, Qormi $1,142,000 $19,543
Martinique Ronny Turiaf basketball NBA, New York Knicks $4,000,000 $14,400
Mauritania Pascal Gourville soccer France (D4), Moissy-Cramayel $353,000 $866
Mauritius Diallo Guidileye soccer France, Stade Brest $313,000 $6,729
Mexico Jorge De La Rosa baseball MLB, Colorado Rockies $10,000,000 $7,956
Moldova Alexandru Epureanu soccer Russia, Dynamo Moscow $1,433,000 $1,500
Mongolia Hakuho sumo Japan Sumo Wrestling $400,000 $1,577
Montenegro Mirko Vucinic soccer Serie A, AS Roma $6,020,000 $6,546
Morocco Marouane Chamakh soccer EPL, Arsenal $4,247,000 $2,834
Mozambique Mate Simao Junior soccer Greece, Panathinaikos $516,000 $418
Northern Ireland Graeme McDowell golf PGA, European tours $5,176,586 $35,239
Namibia Collin Benjamin soccer Bundesliga, Hamburg $1,000,000 $4,288
Nepal Santosh Sahukhala soccer Nepal, Manang Marshyangdi Club $8,430 $452
Netherlands Nigel De Jong soccer EPL, Manchester City $10,500,000 $47,889
New Caledonia Frederic Piquionne soccer EPL, West Ham United $2,972,339 $37,124
New Zealand Russell Coutts yachting RC 44 Championship Tour $10,000,000 $27,384
Nicaragua Vicente Padilla baseball MLB, Los Angeles Dodgers $2,000,000 $1,114
Niger Alhassane Issoufou soccer Morocco, FUS de Rabat $200,000 $343
Nigeria John Mikel Obi soccer EPL, Chelsea $5,800,000 $1,123
Niue Michael Junior Jackson track and field sprinter, per six weeks of training $5,000 $5,800
North Korea (Tie) An Yong-Hak soccer J-League, Kashiwa Reysol $619,107 $499
Jong Tae-Se soccer Germany (D2), VFL Bochum $619,107
Norway John Carew soccer EPL, Stoke City $4,500,000 $78,674
Oman Ali Al Habsi soccer EPL, Wigan Athletic $3,000,000 $18,876
Pakistan Shahid Afridi cricket Pakistan national team salary (100K), plus est. pro cricket salary (two teams) $136,000 $886
Palestine Fadi Lafi soccer Oman, Saham $65,000 $1,367
Panama Carlos Lee baseball MLB, Houston Astros $19,000,000 $7,155
Papua New Guinea Nev Costigan rugby league NRL, Newcastle Knights $216,667 $1,174
Paraguay Roque Santa Cruz soccer EPL, Manchester City $7,668,947 $2,314
Peru Claudio Pizarro soccer Bundesliga, Werder Bremen $5,448,894 $4,403
Philippines Manny Pacquiao boxing two fights in 2010 $32,000,000 $1,747
Poland Robert Kubica auto racing Formula One $10,657,895 $11,311
Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo soccer La Liga, Real Madrid $19,500,000 $21,807
Puerto Rico Carlos Beltran baseball MLB, New York Mets $19,325,436 $24,744
Qatar Sebastian Soria Quintana soccer Qatar, Qatar SC $391,000 $69,754
Republic of the Congo Christopher Samba soccer EPL, Blackburn Rovers $3,000,000 $2,704
Romania Cristian Chivu soccer Serie A, Inter Milan $5,013,000 $7,573
Russia Andrei Kirilenko basketball NBA, Utah Jazz $17,822,187 $8,736
Rwanda Olivier Karekezi soccer Sweden, Oster $52,000 $527
Samoa David Tua boxing October 2009 bout $500,000 $2,926
San Marino Aldo Simoncini soccer Serie A, Cesena $172,000 $54,104
Saudi Arabia Mohammed Noor soccer Saudi Arabia, Al-Ittihad $1,200,000 $14,353
Scotland Darren Fletcher soccer EPL, Manchester United $5,000,000 $35,239
Senegal DeSagana Diop basketball NBA, Charlotte Bobcats $6,478,600 $1,018
Serbia Peja Stojakovic basketball NBA, Dallas Mavericks $15,602,138 $5,612
Seychelles Michael Mancienne soccer EPL, Wolverhampton $2,100,000 $9,354
Sierra Leone Madieu Williams American football NFL, Minnesota Vikings $2,974,000 $393
Singapore Mardan Mamat golf Asian, Euro golf tours $500,609 $37,394
Slovakia Marian Hossa hockey NHL, Chicago Blackhawks $7,900,000 $16,203
Slovenia Anze Kopitar hockey NHL, Los Angeles Kings $6,000,000 $24,333
Somalia Abdisalam Ibrahim soccer England (D2), Scunthorpe $340,000 $220
South Africa Ernie Els golf PGA Tour $5,347,012 $5,707
South Korea Ji-Sung Park soccer EPL, Manchester United $4,700,000 $17,225
Spain Fernando Alonso auto racing Formula One $22,736,842 $32,605
Sri Lanka Mahela Jayawardene cricket IPL, Kochi Tuskers Kerala $1,500,000 $2,112
Sudan Luol Deng basketball NBA, Chicago Bulls $11,355,850 $1,305
Suriname Clarence Seedorf soccer Serie A, AC Milan $4,000,000 $5,707
Swaziland Tony Tsabedze soccer South Africa, Santos Cape Town $212,000 $2,668
Sweden Zlatan Ibrahimovic soccer Serie A, AC Milan $12,700,000 $43,903
Switzerland Roger Federer tennis ATP Tour $7,698,289 $65,003
Syria Sanharib Malki soccer Belgium, Lokeren $400,000 $2,463
Tahiti Fabrice Santoro tennis ATP Tour $19,500 $16,858
Taiwan Hong-Chih Kuo baseball MLB, Los Angeles Dodgers $2,725,000 $18,500
Tajikistan Farkhod Vasiev soccer Russia, Zhemchuzhina-Sochi $145,000 $716
Tanzania Hasheem Thabeet basketball NBA, Houston Rockets $4,793,280 $526
Thailand Thongchai Jaidee golf European and Asian tours $1,400,000 $3,894
Togo Emmanuel Adebayor soccer EPL, Manchester City $11,900,000 $480
Tonga Chris Kemoeatu American football NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers $2,369,000 $3,259
Trinidad And Tobago Anthony Herrera American football NFL, Minnesota Vikings $1,425,000 $15,782
Tunisia Karim Haggui soccer Bundesliga, Hannover 96 $820,000 $3,852
Turkey Hedo Turkoglu basketball NBA, Orlando Magic $9,800,000 $8,215
UAE Ismail Matar soccer UAE, Al-Wahda $360,000 $54,138
Uganda Mathias Kiwanuka American football NFL, New York Giants $1,776,000 $523
Ukraine Vitali Klitschko boxing estimated average per fight $6-8M $2,569
Uruguay Diego Forlan soccer La Liga, Atletico Madrid $7,169,746 $9,376
U.S. Virgin Islands Tim Duncan basketball NBA, San Antonio Spurs $18,700,000 $13,660
USA Alex Rodriguez baseball MLB, New York Yankees $32,000,000 $44,872
Uzbekistan Maksim Shatskikh soccer Ukraine, Arsenal Kiev $120,000 $1,199
Venezuela Johan Santana baseball MLB, New York Mets $21,644,707 $11,404
Vietnam Lee Nguyen soccer Vietnam, Becamex Binh Duong 180,000 $1,058
Wales Ryan Giggs soccer EPL, Manchester United $6,300,000 $35,239
Zambia Chris Katongo soccer Greece, AO Skoda Xanthi $315,300 $985
Zimbabwe Benjani Mwaruwari soccer EPL, Blackburn Rovers $3,405,584 $324

Editors' note: No pros from Afghanistan, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Salaries not available for Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bhutan, Bonaire, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Dominica, East Timor, Grenada, Mauritus, Micronesia, Monaco, Monserrat, Myanmar, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grendadines, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos or Yemen.

Data gathered by Sulaiman Folarin, Jeff Gold, Lizzie Haldane, Adesina O. Koiki, Brandon Lilly, John Mastroberardino, Jason Matloff, Doug McIntyre and Gueorgui Milkov. Special thanks to Ori Cooper, director of IMScouting.

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