The 7 Most Expensive Contracts in Sports History
As published by the newspaper Le Parisien, the last contract signed by Kylian Mbappé with PSG is the most expensive in the history of the sport. Here we tell you what other figures complete the list .
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LatinAmerican Post | Theoscar Mogollón González
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Leer en español: Los 7 contratos más caros en la historia del deporte
How is sport capable of moving so much money is a question that, for some, does not have a certain answer. Whether it's soccer, boxing or baseball, it is one of the biggest sources of entertainment in the world, thus capturing the attention of millions of fans. In recent days, the newspaper Le Parisien published a list with the 10 most expensive contracts in the history of sports, which included five baseball players, two soccer players, two boxers and an American football player.
The last three places in the top-10 are occupied by MLB franchise baseball players. In 2019, Bryce Harper signed a 13-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies worth approximately €335 million ; in 2021, the Dominican Fernando Tatis Jr. did the same with the San Diego Padres for €345 million for the next 14 seasons; while this year, Puerto Rican Francisco Lindor extended his 10-year contract with the New York Mets for some €346 million.
Next we leave you the 7 most expensive contracts in the history of the sport. Will they really be worth every penny?
7.Mookie Betts
Los Angeles is a city that moves huge amounts of money, and this is demonstrated by teams like the Dodgers. During the pandemic in 2020, the baseball player reached a stratospheric agreement for 12 years and about 370 million euros, which guaranteed him not to become a free agent that year. He is one of the most sought-after outfielders in the MLB, not to mention that he responded in a big way by winning the World Series that same year.
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6. "Canelo" Alvarez
The Mexican is one of the most sought-after boxers at the moment, and this was demonstrated in 2018 with his contract with the sports channel DAZN. Said agreement is for 5 years and valued at 370 million euros. At that time, Canelo's firm surpassed several records in sports history in the United States, in addition to having a record of 9 wins and 1 loss during that period.
5.Mike Trout
The first baseball player on the list belongs to the Los Angeles Angels, who in 2019 extended his contract for 10 years. It is worth mentioning that he still had two years left, according to the team, to which the new offer was added to reach a value close to 432 million euros. The pact is the most expensive in American baseball history, and the player knew how to respond after winning MVP that season.
4. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In 2013, the most successful boxer of the last decades had become the highest paid athlete of the moment. At that time, he signed a contract with the television channel Showtime Networks for 30 months, whose approximate value was 456 million euros. It should be added that during that time he faced and later won rivals such as Canelo Álvarez, Marcos Maidana, Manny Pacquiao and Connor McGregor.
3.Patrick Mahomes
Regardless of the sport, teams in the United States have the particularity of offering long-term contracts to franchise players. This is the case of the quarterback who won Super Bowl LIV with the Kansas City Chiefs, an NFL team to which he will be linked for 10 years (until 2031). The deal is valued at around €510 million, €140 million of which is an injury guarantee. To this day, he is the highest paid American athlete in the world.
2. Lionel Messi
The last contract that the Argentine soccer player signed with FC Barcelona was the largest in the history of the sport until 2022. In this case, the figures were released by the newspaper El Mundo last year, where it detailed that Messi was linked to the club Spanish for 555 million euros, from 2017 to 2021. Among the most notable bonuses are almost €100 million just for the signature and one of €66 million for loyalty.
1. Kylian Mbappe
Between controversies and rumors about his possible move to Real Madrid, the French striker ended up staying at PSG with one of the biggest sports contracts ever signed in history. His stay in Paris for the next two years (plus an optional one) will lead him to earn about 630 million euros. According to information from Le Parisien, his annual salary is €72 million, not to mention various bonuses that would credit him with another €180 million.
