<p>It’s no secret that superstar athletes take home a pretty penny. Sports stars worldwide are very well compensated for their time, but what about the crème de la crème? What are they taking home?</p> <p>Our list of the Top 10 Biggest Contracts in the History of Sport will illuminate this intriguing trivia topic.</p> <p>One sport and one country, in particular, dominate this list. So, if you want to get paid, you might want to move to America and start hitting a ball with a stick ASAP.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>10. Francisco Lindor</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sport:</strong> Baseball</p> <p><strong>Organisation:</strong> New York Mets</p> <p><strong>Length of contract: </strong>10 years (2022-2031)</p> <p><strong>Contract value:</strong> $341,000,000 (AUD $524,372,750)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Yep, another double-digit baseball contract. New York Mets’ shortstop Francisco Lindor pledged the next decade of his career to his employers in exchange for a touch over AUD $524 million.</p> <p>The 29-year-old is nicknamed “Mr Smile”, and yeah, who wouldn’t be smiling with a pay packet like that?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>9. Aaron Judge</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sport:</strong> Baseball</p> <p><strong>Organisation:</strong> New York Yankees</p> <p><strong>Length of contract:</strong> 9 years (2023-2032)</p> <p><strong>Contract value:</strong> $360,000,000 (AUD $553,590,000)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>What’s this? A single-digit baseball contract? Yankees right field Aaron Judge penned a nine-year deal earlier this year that will see him net over AUD $500 million.</p> <p>Is he worth it? We’ll let you be the Judge of that.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>&nbsp;8. Mookie Betts</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sport:</strong> Baseball</p> <p><strong>Organisation:</strong> Los Angeles Dodgers</p> <p><strong>Length of contract</strong>: 12 years (2021-2032)</p> <p><strong>Contract value:</strong> $365,000,000 (AUD $561,278,750)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Another baseball player? Really? How much money do these clubs have? A lot, apparently.</p> <p>The Los Angeles Dodgers have enough to give Mookie Betts approximately AUD $560 million over 12 years.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>7. Mike Trout</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sport:</strong> Baseball</p> <p><strong>Organisation:</strong> Los Angeles Angels</p> <p><strong>Length of contract:</strong> 12 years (2019-2030)</p> <p><strong>Contract value:</strong> $426,500,000 (AUD $641,011,160)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Previously the highest paid player in the MLB, Los Angeles Angels centre fielder Mike Trout has only recently been dethroned (stay tuned) but is still taking home enough to feed his family and some.&nbsp;</p> <p>The now 32-year-old trout signed an insane 12-year deal back in 2019 that ensures he will take home in excess of AUD $641 million. Big bait catches big fish.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>6. Karim Benzema</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sport:</strong> Football</p> <p><strong>Organisation:</strong> Al-Ittihad</p> <p><strong>Length of contract:</strong> 2 years (2023-2025)</p> <p><strong>Contract value:</strong> $447,302,608 (AUD $675,440,357)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The former Real Madrid striker and 2022 Ballon D’or winner Karim Benzama is the first football player to appear on the list and this is a doozy of a contract.&nbsp;</p> <p>The 36 year old will not be thinking too much about his retirement plan, having just signed a 2 year deal worth $675 million with Saudi club, Al-Ittihad.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>5. Patrick Mahomes</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sport</strong>: <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/american-football/nfl">American Football (NFL)</a></p> <p><strong>Organisation:</strong> Kansas City Chiefs</p> <p><strong>Length of contract:</strong> 10 years (2020-2031)</p> <p><strong>Contract value:</strong> $503,000,000 (AUD $755,987,371)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As the best gunslinger in the game and with multiple <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/american-football/super-bowl">Super Bowls</a>, <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/american-football/nfl-player-awards/ap-nfl-regular-season-mvp-2023-24-7133405">MVPs</a> and Super Bowl MVPs to his name, it’s no surprise to see the wages Patrick Mahomes commands.</p> <p>The ideal player to build a dynasty around, in 2020, the Kansas City Chiefs decided to lock him up for a decade with a deal worth over AUD $750 million.</p> <p>This contract has seemingly paid dividends for Kansas City, with Mahomes already making 3 Super Bowls and winning 2 in its first 4 years.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2>4. Cristiano Ronaldo</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sport:</strong> <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/soccer">Football</a></p> <p><strong>Organisation:</strong> Al Nassr</p> <p><strong>Length of contract:</strong> 2.5 years (2023-2025)</p> <p><strong>Contract value</strong>: $525,000,000 (AUD $789,052,425)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The bronze medalist in this war of wages is none other than Cristiano Ronaldo.</p> <p>Unsurprisingly as one of the greatest and most famous footballers ever, Ronaldo has been making bank both on and off the field for nearly two decades.</p> <p>However, he signed the biggest deal of his career&nbsp; at the ripe old age of 37.</p> <p>The latest athlete to be seduced by Saudi oil money, CR7 signed a two-and-a-half-year deal, worth just shy of AUD $800 million, with Saudi club Al Nassar FC.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2>3. Lionel Messi</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sport:</strong> Football&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Organisation:</strong> FC Barcelona.</p> <p><strong>Length of contract:</strong> 4 years (2017-2021)</p> <p><strong>Contract value:</strong> $674,000,000 (AUD $1,012,993,018)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>When you are the greatest player in the history of the most popular sport in history, it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise that you are also the recipient of one of the biggest contracts in sports history.</p> <p>In 2017, at the peak of his powers at Barcelona, Lionel Messi was rewarded with a four-year contract that was valued at over one BILLION Aussie dollars.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>2. Shohei Ohtani</h2> <p><strong>Sport:</strong> Baseball</p> <p><strong>Organisation:</strong> LA Dodgers</p> <p><strong>Length of contract:</strong> 20 years (2024-2043)</p> <p><strong>Contract value:</strong> $700,000,000 (AUD $1,074,765,300)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The previousbiggest contract in sports history is also one of the strangest. Shohei Ohtani made international headlines when he locked in a 20 year contract with the LA Dodgers worth a cool $700 million USD (or over 1 billion dollarydoos).&nbsp;</p> <p>However, while a 20 year contract in itself is absolute insanity to think about, it’s the T&amp;Cs of this contract that are the most mind boggling.&nbsp;</p> <p>For the next ten years, Ohtani will take home just $2 million a year, leaving a massive $68 per year to be deferred to him in the later half of the contract.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>1. Juan Soto</h2> <p><strong>Sport: </strong>Baseball</p> <p><strong>Organisation: </strong>NY Mets</p> <p><strong>Length of contract: </strong>15 years (2025-2039)</p> <p><strong>Contract value: </strong>$765,000,000 (AUD $1,197,000,000)</p> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>The latest and greatest sports contract in history has just been signed by the one and only Juan Soto. Hailing from the small Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic, Juan Soto has made headlines around the world for a truly eyewatering payday.</p> <p>The new largest sports contract in history amounts to USD$765 million, almost $1.2 billion Australian Dollars. If that’s not crazy enough this new contract, amounting to a total larger sum than Shohei Ohtani is for a shorter contract length, just 15 years as opposed to Shohei’s 20.</p> <p>Putting this into perspective Juan Soto will be earning approximately USD$51 million per season, just under $320,000 per game, $121,000 per hour, $2,020 per minute and $24 per second. Culminating in the biggest contract in sports history</p>