Best-paid athletes from 200 countries
Tennis star Li Na, boxer Floyd Mayweather top the list of sports' highest earners
Originally Published: May 4, 2012
ESPN The Magazine
Chris Trotman/Getty ImagesFloyd Mayweather is the United States' highest-paid player, raking in more than $40 million a year.This list is part of ESPN The Magazine's Money Issue salary survey project. Subscribe to the Mag today!
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: Earnings represent salary and/or prize money from 2011 calendar year or most recent season and excludes any other source of compensation, unless otherwise noted. If official salary figures were unavailable, earnings were based on information from multiple sources, including leagues, agents, sports federations, cultural centers and the United Nations. All figures converted to U.S. dollars as of April 3 exchange rate. 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. Special thanks to Nick Harris, editor of sportingintelligence.com.
| Country or territory | Athlete | Sport | league or country, team | Salary or prize money | 2010 per capita GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Shabir Isoufi | soccer | Eredivise, Feyenoord Rotterdam | $80,000 | $499 |
| Albania | Lorik Cana | soccer | Serie A, Lazio Roma | $2,667,400 | $3,677 |
| Algeria | Nadir Belhadj | soccer | Qatar, Al-Sadd | $2,779,000 | $4,473 |
| American Samoa | Isaac Sopoaga | football (US) | NFL, San Francisco 49ers | $4,000,000 | $8,000 (2008 est.) |
| Angola | Manucho | soccer | Spain, Real Valladolid | $865,579 | $4,322 |
| Anguilla | Chesney Hughes | cricket | England, Derbyshire Falcons | $46,867 | $13,750 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Mikele Leigertwood | soccer | England, Championship, Reading FC | $937,000 | $12,602 |
| Argentina | Sergio Aguero | soccer | EPL, Manchester City | $16,657,100 | $9,162 |
| Armenia | Apoula Edel | soccer | Israel, Hapoel Tel Aviv | $600,165 | $3,031 |
| Aruba | David Abdul | soccer | Eredivise, Sparta Rotterdam | $65,312 | $22,851 |
| Australia (male) | Andrew Bogut | basketball | NBA, Milwaukee Bucks | $12,100,000 | $57,119 |
| Australia (female) | Samantha Stosur | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $3,476,153 | $57,119 |
| Austria | Thomas Vanek | hockey | NHL, Buffalo Sabres | $6,400,000 | $45,159 |
| Azerbaijan | Aleksandr Samedov | soccer | Russia, Dinamo Moscow | $1,200,330 | $5,638 |
| Bahamas | Alex Smith | football (US) | NFL, Cleveland Browns | $685,000 | $22,462 |
| Bahrain | Jaycee John Okwunwanne | soccer | Qatar, Al Kharaitiyat | $500,000 | $18,184 |
| Bangladesh | Siddikur | golf | Asian, European golf tours, 2011 | $328,972 | $670 |
| Barbados | Emmerson Boyce | soccer | EPL Wigan Athletic | $2,030,235 | $14,497 |
| Belarus (male) | Alexander Hleb | soccer | La Liga, Barcelona | $5,756,250 | $5,702 |
| Belarus (female) | Victoria Azarenka | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $3,771,032 | $5,702 |
| Belgium (male) | Vincent Kompany | soccer | EPL, Manchester City | $6,246,400 | $43,815 |
| Belgium (female) | Kim Clijsters | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $2,325,741 | $43,815 |
| Belize | Milt Palacio | basketball | Spain, Obradoiro | $85,000 | $4,496 |
| Benin | Stephane Sessegnon | soccer | EPL, Sunderland | $2,800,000 | $741 |
| Bermuda | Nahki Wells | soccer | England, League 2, Bradford City | $83,285 | $92,625 |
| Bhutan | Chencho | soccer | India, Royal Wahingdoh FC | $4,000 | $2,047 |
| Bolivia | Marcelo Moreno | soccer | Ukraine, Shakhtar Donetsk | $1,200,000 | $1,978 |
| Bosnia | Edin Dzeko | soccer | EPL, Manchester City | $9,327,950 | $4,478 |
| Botswana | Mogogi Gabonamong | soccer | South Africa, SuperSport United | $354,000 | $7,403 |
| Brazil | Kaka | soccer | La Liga, Real Madrid | $14,869,000 | $10,716 |
| Brunei Darussalam | Craig Adams | hockey | NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins | $725,000 | $32,648 |
| Bulgaria | Dimitar Berbatov | soccer | EPL, Manchester United | $8,322,290 | $6,365 |
| Burkina Faso | Charles Kabore | soccer | France, Olympique Marseille | $1,118,000 | $520 |
| Burundi | Saidi Ntibazonkiza | soccer | Poland, Crakovia Krakow | $352,000 | $177 |
| Cambodia (tie) | Thun Sophea | kick-boxing | Cambodia, CTN | $30,000 | $797 |
| Cambodia (tie) | Chhunly Pagenburg | soccer | Germany, SV Eintracht Trier 05 | $30,000 | $797 |
| Cameroon | Samuel Eto'o | soccer | Russia, Anzhi Makhachkala | $13,337,000 | $1,207 |
| Canada | Jason Bay | baseball | MLB, New York Mets | $18,125,000 | $46,361 |
| Cape Verde | Cafu | soccer | Cyprus, AEL Limassol | $250,000 | $3,244 |
| Cayman Islands | Cydonie Mothersille | track & field | athletics (200m) | $85,000 | $57,048 |
| Central African Republic | Romain Sato | basketball | Greece, Panathinaikos | $1,733,810 | $451 |
| Chad | Misdongarde Betoligar | soccer | Serbia, FK Metalac | $21,500 | $727 |
| Chile | Mark Gonzalez | soccer | Russia, CSKA Moscow | $8,500,000 | $11,888 |
| China | Li Na | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $3,709,139 | $4,354 |
| Colombia | Radames Falcao | soccer | La Liga, Atlético Madrid | $7,250,000 | $6,223 |
| Comoros | Kassim Abdallah | soccer | France, Sedan-Ardennes | $112,031 | $737 |
| Cook Islands | Stan Wright | rugby union | Stade Francais, French Top 14 | $150,000 | $12,212 |
| Costa Rica | Bryan Ruiz | soccer | EPL, Fulham | $3,331,410 | $7,704 |
| Croatia | Luka Modric | soccer | EPL, Tottenham Hotspur | $5,617,540 | $13,820 |
| Cuba | Yoenis Cespedes | baseball | MLB, Oakland Athletics | $9,000,000 | $5,704 |
| Curacao | Jair Jurrjens | baseball | MLB, Atlanta Braves | $5,500,000 | $15,000 (2004 est.) |
| Cyprus | Marcos Baghdatis | tennis | ATP Tour, 2011 earnings | $603,356 | $28,364 |
| Czech Republic (male) | Petr Cech | soccer | EPL, Chelsea | $7,495,680 | $18,839 |
| Czech Republic (female) | Petra Kvitova | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $5,145,943 | $18,839 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Bismack Biyombo | basketball | NBA, Charlotte Bobcats | $2,798,040 | $201 |
| Denmark (male) | Daniel Agger | soccer | EPL, Liverpool | $5,500,000 | $55,830 |
| Denmark (female) | Caroline Wozniacki | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $4,065,581 | $55,830 |
| Dominica | Shane Shillingford | cricket | West Indies and Windward Islands | $35,000 | $7,021 |
| Dominican Republic | Alfonso Soriano | baseball | MLB, Chicago Cubs | $19,000,000 | $5,195 |
| East Timor | Emilio Da Silva | soccer | East Timor, Associacao Desportiva | $20,000 | $706 |
| Ecuador | Antonio Valencia | soccer | EPL, Manchester United | $6,361,986 | $4,073 |
| Egypt (tie) | Mohammed Zidan | soccer | Bundesliga, Mainz 05 | $2,580,000 | $2,654 |
| Egypt (tie) | Mohamed Abu Treika | soccer | Egypt, Al-Ahly | $2,580,000 | $2,654 |
| El Salvador | Arturo Alvarez | soccer | MLS, Real Salt Lake | $192,585 | $3,426 |
| England | David Haye | boxing | July 2, 2011 bout vs. Wladimir Klitschko | $24,024,600 | $36,327 (UK) |
| Equatorial Guinea | Rodolfo Bodipo | soccer | La Liga, Deportivo La Coruna | $430,000 | $16,852 |
| Estonia | Ragnar Klavan | soccer | Eredivisie, AZ Alkmaar | $1,000,000 | $14,135 |
| Ethiopia (female) | Aselefech Mergia | track & field | Distance running, 2011 prize money | $263,000 | $325 |
| Faroe Islands | Christian Holst | soccer | Denmark, Silkeborg | $133,370 | $30,500 (2008 est.) |
| Fiji | Vijay Singh | golf | PGA Tour and Asia Pacific Classic, 2011 | $2,546,050 | $3,546 |
| Finland | Mikko Koivu | hockey | NHL, Minnesota Wild | $7,290,000 | $44,502 |
| France (male) | Samir Nasri | soccer | EPL, Manchester City | $14,991,400 | $39,546 |
| France (female) | Marion Bartoli | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $1,757,863 | $39,546 |
| French Guyana | Florent Malouda | soccer | EPL, Chelsea | $6,896,985 | n/a |
| Gabon | Eric Mouloungui | soccer | France, Nice | $960,264 | $12,469 |
| Gambia | Ousman Jallow | soccer | Turkey, Caykur Rizespor | $350,000 | $579 |
| Georgia | Zaza Pachulia | basketball | NBA, Atlanta Hawks | $4,750,000 | $2,680 |
| Germany (male) | Dirk Nowitzki | basketball | NBA, Dallas Mavericks | $19,092,873 | $39,857 |
| Germany (female) | Andrea Petkovic | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $1,652,271 | $39,857 |
| Ghana | Asamoah Gyan | soccer | UAE, Al-Ain FC | $16,000,000 | $1,333 |
| Greece | Vassilis Spanoulis | basketball | Greece, Olympiakos | $3,200,880 | $26,504 |
| Grenada | Devon Smith | cricket | West Indies and Windward Islands | $100,000 | $7,429 |
| Guadeloupe | Rodrigue Beaubois | basketball | NBA, Dallas Mavericks | $1,236,720 | $21,780 |
| Guatemala | Carlos Ruiz | soccer | Mexico, Liga de Ascenso, Veracruz | $70,155 | $2,882 |
| Guinea | Ibrahima Yattara | soccer | Saudi Arabia, Al Shabab | $2,300,000 | $427 |
| Guinea-Bissau | Almami Moreira | soccer | Serbia, Vojvodina Novi Sad | $505,000 | $539 |
| Guyana | Ramnaresh Sarwan | cricket | West Indies and Windward Islands | $54,818 | $2,996 |
| Haiti | Samuel Dalembert | basketball | NBA, Houston Rockets | $7,000,000 | $613 |
| Honduras | Wilson Palacios | soccer | EPL, Stoke City | $2,082,130 | $2,026 |
| Hungary | Balazs Dzsudzsak | soccer | Russia, Anzhi Makhachkala | $3,334,250 | $12,884 |
| Iceland | Heidar Helgusson | soccer | EPL, Queens Park Rangers | $2,498,560 | $39,278 |
| India (male) | Ravindra Jedeja | cricket | IPL, Chennai Super Kings, 2012 | $2,000,000 | $1,406 |
| India (female) | Sania Mirza | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $548,834 | $1,406 |
| Indonesia | Chris John | boxing | two WBA title bouts, 2011 | $1,000,000 | $2,949 |
| Iran | Hamed Haddadi | basketball | NBA, Memphis Grizzlies | $1,300,000 | $5,227 |
| Ireland | Shay Given | soccer | EPL, Aston Villa | $4,854,670 | $46,220 |
| Israel (male) | Yossi Benayoun | soccer | EPL, Arsenal | $5,413,540 | $29,312 |
| Israel (female) | Shahar Peer | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $475,249 | $29,312 |
| Italy (male) | Valentino Rossi | MotoGP | Moto GP, Ducati | $20,000,000 | $33,877 |
| Italy (female) | Francesca Schiavone | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $1,782,351 | $33,877 |
| Ivory Coast | Yaya Toure | soccer | EPL, Manchester City | $15,407,800 | $1,154 |
| Jamaica | Justin Masterson | baseball | MLB, Cleveland Indians | $3,825,000 | $4,899 |
| Japan (male) | Ichiro Suzuki | baseball | MLB, Seattle Mariners | $18,000,000 | $43,141 |
| Japan (female) | Ai Miyazato | golf | LPGA Tour, 2011 earnings | $1,007,633 | $43,141 |
| Jordan | Odai Al Saify | soccer | Alki Larnaka (Cyprus) | $133,370 | $4,445 |
| Kazakhstan (male) | Nik Antropov | hockey | NHL, Winnipeg Jets, 2011-12 | $4,250,000 | $9,167 |
| Kazakhstan (female) | Yaroslava Shvedova | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $512,475 | $9,167 |
| Kenya | McDonald Mariga | soccer | Serie A, Parma | $1,300,000 | $802 |
| Kiribati | no pro athletes | $1,468 | |||
| Kuwait | Khaled al-Rashidi | soccer | Kuwait, Al-Arabi | $130,000 | $45,430 |
| Kyrgyzstan | Azamat Baimatov | soccer | Russia 2nd division, Sibir Novosibirsk | $40,000 | $865 |
| Latvia | Andris Biedrins | basketball | NBA, Golden State Warriors | $9,000,000 | $10,663 |
| Lebanon | Roda Antar | soccer | China, Shandong Luneng | $3,000,000 | $9,284 |
| Lesotho | Lehlohonolo Seema | soccer | South Africa, Orlando Pirates | $45,000 | $981 |
| Liberia | Tamba Hali | football (US) | NFL, Kansas City Chiefs | $16,000,000 | $219 |
| Libya | Tareq al Tayeb | soccer | Kuwait, Al Naser | $1,500,000 | $11,321 |
| Liechtenstein | Tina Weirather | alpine skiing | 2011 World Cup, Alpine Skiing | $130,590 | $142,781 |
| Lithuania | Linas Kleiza | basketball | NBA, Toronto Raptors | $4,605,000 | $10,975 |
| Luxembourg | Andy Schleck | cycling | 2011 pro cycling base salary | $2,000,000 | $105,095 |
| Macedonia | Goran Pandev | soccer | Serie A, Napoli (loan: Inter Milan) | $4,001,100 | $4,434 |
| Madagascar | Anicet Andrianantenaina | soccer | Bulgaria, Chernomorets Burgas | $120,000 | $422 |
| Malawi | Tamika Mkandawire | soccer | England, Championship, Millwall | $571,000 | $357 |
| Malaysia | Lee Chong Wei | badminton | 2011 prize money, Super Series, Grand Prix | $267,350 | $8,373 |
| Mali | Frederic Kanoute | soccer | La Liga, Sevilla | $8,600,000 | $599 |
| Malta | Michael Mifsud | soccer | Malta, Valletta FC | $80,000 | $19,599 |
| Marshall Islands | no pro athletes | $3,069 | |||
| Martinique | Ronny Turiaf | basketball | NBA, Washington Wizards | $4,360,000 | n/a |
| Mauritania | Pascal Gourville | soccer | France, Moissy-Cramayel | $353,000 | $1,131 |
| Mauritius | Jonathan Bru | soccer | Portugal, Moreirense | $49,607 | $7,488 |
| Mexico | Jorge De La Rosa | baseball | MLB, Colorado Rockies | $10,500,000 | $9,101 |
| Moldova | Alexandru Epureanu | soccer | Russia, FC Dynamo Moscow | $1,333,700 | $1,626 |
| Mongolia | Hakuho | sumo | Japan Sumo Wrestling, salary & prize money | $1,100,000 | $2,247 |
| Montenegro | Mirko Vucinic | soccer | Serie A, Juventus | $4,667,950 | $6,510 |
| Monserrat | Anthony Griffith | soccer | England, League 2, Port Vale | $93,728 | $9,343 |
| Morocco | Moubarak Boussoufa | soccer | Russia, Anzhi Makhachkala | $4,300,000 | $2,865 |
| Mozambique | Simao Junior | soccer | Greece, Panathinaikos | $516,000 | $408 |
| Myanmar | Zaw Moe | golf | Asian Tour, 2011 | $93,009 | $876 |
| Namibia | Collin Benjamin | soccer | Bundesliga 2, 1860 Munchen | $900,000 | $5,125 |
| Netherlands | Arjen Robben | soccer | Bundesliga, Bayern Munich | $9,602,640 | $46,910 |
| New Caledonia | Frederic Piquionne | soccer | EPL, West Ham United | $2,175,000 | $35,319 |
| New Zealand | Sean Marks | basketball | NBA, Charlotte Bobcats | $1,264,687 | $32,372 |
| Nicaragua | Vicente Padilla | baseball | MLB, Boston Red Sox | $1,500,000 | $1,132 |
| Niger | Alhassane Issoufou | soccer | Morocco, FUS de Rabat | $200,000 | $358 |
| Nigeria | John Mikel Obi | soccer | EPL, Chelsea | $4,854,670 | $1,240 |
| North Korea | Chong Tese | soccer | Germany, Cologne | $652,575 | $504 |
| Northern Ireland | Rory McIlroy | golf | PGA, European Tour prize money, 2011 | $4,928,469 | $36,327 |
| Norway (male) | John Carew | soccer | EPL, West Ham United | $4,600,000 | $84,589 |
| Norway (female) | Suzann Pettersen | golf | LPGA Tour, 2011 earnings | $1,322,770 | $84,589 |
| Oman | Ali Al Habsi | soccer | EPL, Wigan Athletic | $2,914,980 | $20,791 |
| Pakistan | Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi | tennis | ATP Tour, 2011 earnings | $434,430 | $1,003 |
| Palau | no pro athletes | $10,822 | |||
| Panama | Carlos Lee | baseball | MLB, Houston Astros | $19,000,000 | $7,614 |
| Papua New Guinea | Nev Costigan | rugby league | NRL, Newcastle Knights | $270,000 | $1,428 |
| Paraguay | Roque Santa Cruz | soccer | La Liga, Real Betis (on loan from Manchester City) | $7,168,590 | $2,771 |
| Peru | Paolo Guerrero | soccer | Bundesliga, Hamburger SV | $8,000,000 | $5,411 |
| Philippines | Manny Pacquiao | boxing | two WBO title bouts, 2011 | $50,000,000 | $2,140 |
| Poland (male) | Marcin Gortat | basketball | NBA, Phoenix Suns | $6,790,640 | $12,263 |
| Poland (female) | Agnieszka Radwanska | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $2,456,568 | $12,263 |
| Portugal | Cristiano Ronaldo | soccer | La Liga, Real Madrid | $17,338,100 | $21,438 |
| Puerto Rico | Carlos Beltran | baseball | MLB, St. Louis Cardinals | $13,000,000 | $26,461 |
| Qatar | Hussein Yasser | soccer | Belgium, Lierse SK | $500,000 | $72,398 |
| Republic of the Congo | Christopher Samba | socc | Russia, Anzhi Makhachkala | $8,000,000 | $2,665 |
| Romania | Lucian Bute | boxing | 2011 bouts Magee, Mendy, Johnson | $5,230,000 | $7,522 |
| Russia (male) | Ilya Bryzgalov | hockey | NHL, Philadelphia Flyers | $10,000,000 | $10,351 |
| Russia (female) | Maria Sharapova | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $2,899,148 | $10,351 |
| Rwanda | Edwin Ouon | soccer | Cyprus, AEL | $300,000 | $532 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Atiba Harris | soccer | MLS, Vancouver Whitecaps FC | $80,590 | $10,494 |
| Saint Lucia | Darren Sammy | cricket | West Indies and Windward Islands | $191,500 | $6,677 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Shandel Samuel | soccer | Trinidad & Tobago, TT Pro League, Ma Pau SC | $40,000 | $6,172 |
| Samoa | Seilala Mapusua | rugby union | Kubota Spears | $846,600 | $3,343 |
| San Marino | Aldo Simoncini | soccer | Serie A, Cesena | $120,000 | $47,171 |
| Saudi Arabia | Mohammad Noor | soccer | Qatar, Al Jaish | $1,230,000 | $15,836 |
| Scotland (male) | Darren Fletcher | soccer | EPL, Manchester United | $6,662,820 | $36,327 (UK) |
| Scotland (female) | Catriona Matthew | golf | LPGA Tour, 2011 earnings | $692,340 | $36,327 (UK) |
| Senegal | Mamadou Niang | soccer | Qatar, Al Sadd | $7,000,000 | $1,033 |
| Serbia (male) | Novak Djokovic | tennis | ATP Tour, 2011 earnings | $12,619,803 | $5,123 |
| Serbia (female) | Jelena Jankovic | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $1,078,418 | $5,123 |
| Seychelles | Michael Mancienne | soccer | Bundesliga, Hamburger SV | $2,400,660 | $11,451 |
| Sierra Leone | Teteh Bangura | soccer | Turkey, Bursaspor | $1,111,230 | $352 |
| Singapore | Lam Chih Bing | golf | Asian, European golf tours, 2011 | $86,902 | $43,783 |
| Slovakia (male) | Zdeno Chara | hockey | NHL, Boston Bruins | $8,500,000 | $15,976 |
| Slovakia (female) | Daniela Hantuchova | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $809,682 | $15,976 |
| Slovenia (male) | Beno Udrih | basketball | NBA, Milwaukee Bucks | $7,232,500 | $23,110 |
| Slovenia (female) | Katarina Srebotnik | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $842,365 | $23,110 |
| Somalia | Abdisalam Ibrahim | soccer | EPL, Manchester City | $850,000 | $115 |
| South Africa | Steven Pienaar | soccer | EPL, Everton | $4,200,000 | $7,255 |
| South Korea | Shin-Soo Choo | baseball | MLB, Cleveland Indians | $4,900,000 | $21,052 |
| South Sudan | Luol Deng | basketball | NBA, Chicago Bulls | $12,341,275 | $1,825 |
| Spain | Fernando Alonso | auto racing | Formula One, Ferrari, 2011 salary and prize money | $40,000,000 | $30,543 |
| Sri Lanka | Mahela Jayawardene | cricket | IPL, Delhi Daredevils, 2012 | $1,400,000 | $2,375 |
| Suriname | Clarence Seedorf | soccer | Serie A, AC Milan | $4,450,000 | $7,018 |
| Swaziland | Tony Tsabedze | soccer | South Africa, Santos | $212,000 | $3,311 |
| Sweden | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | soccer | Serie A, AC Milan | $12,003,300 | $48,906 |
| Switzerland | Roger Federer | tennis | ATP Tour, 2011 earnings | $6,369,576 | $68,880 |
| Syria | Sanharib Malki | soccer | Eredivise, Roda JC Kerkrade | $400,000 | $2,931 |
| Tahiti | Michel Bourez | surfing | ASP World Tour | $162,500 | n/a |
| Taiwan (male) | Chien-Ming Wang | baseball | MLB, Washington Nationals | $4,000,000 | $36,300 |
| Taiwan (female) | Yani Tseng | golf | LPGA Tour, 2011 earnings | $2,921,713 | $36,300 |
| Tajikistan | Akmal Kholmatov | soccer | Iran, Pas Hamedan | $100,000 | $816 |
| Thailand | Thongchai Jaidee | golf | Euro, Asian tours | $742,427 | $4,613 |
| Togo | Emmanuel Adebayor | soccer | EPL, Tottenham (loan from Manchester City) | $13,325,600 | $525 |
| Tonga | Chris Kemoeatu | football (us) | NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers | $3,223,000 | $3,543 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Anthony Herrera | football | NFL, Minnesota Vikings | $2,750,000 | $15,205 |
| Tunisia (tie) | Anis Ben-Hatira | soccer | Bundesliga, Hertha Berlin | $1,000,280 | $4,222 |
| Tunisia (tie) | Ammar Jemal | soccer | Bundesliga, Cologne | $1,000,280 | $4,222 |
| Turkey | Mehmet Okur | basketball | NBA, New Jersey Nets | $10,890,000 | $10,095 |
| Turkmenistan | Vakhyt Orazsakhedov | soccer | Russia, Rubin Kazan | $200,000 | $4,587 |
| Tuvalu | Alopua Petoa | soccer | Tuvalu, FC Tofaga | $4,000 | $3,187 |
| Uganda | Mathias Kiwanuka | football (us) | NFL, New York Giants | $4,750,000 | $509 |
| Ukraine (male) | Wladimir Klitschko | boxing | July 2, 2011 bout vs. David Haye | $24,024,600 | $3,035 |
| Ukraine (female) | Elena Vesnina | tennis | WTA Tour, 2011 earnings | $718,980 | $3,035 |
| United Arab Emirates | Ahmed Khalil | soccer | UAE, Al-Wahda | $1,320,000 | $39,625 |
| United Republic of Tanzania | Hasheem Thabeet | basketball | NBA, Portland Trail Blazers | $5,127,720 | $516 |
| United States | Floyd Mayweather | boxing | 2011 bout vs. Victor Ortiz | $40,000,000 | $46,546 |
| US Virgin Islands | Tim Duncan | basketball | NBA, San Antonio Spurs | $21,300,000 | $14,500 (2004 est) |
| Uruguay | Luis Suarez | soccer | EPL, Liverpool | $6,400,000 | $11,952 |
| Uzbekistan | Odil Ahmedov | soccer | Russia, Anzhi Makhachkala | $5,000,000 | $1,427 |
| Vanuatu | Jean Yelou | soccer | Vanuatu, Amicale FC | $10,000 | $2,963 |
| Venezuela | Johan Santana | baseball | MLB, NY Mets | $23,145,011 | $13,503 |
| Vietnam | Cung Le | MMA | UFC prize money, 2011 | $420,000 | $1,183 |
| Wales (tie) | Ryan Giggs | soccer | EPL, Manchester United | $6,662,820 | $36,327 (UK) |
| Wales (tie) | Craig Bellamy | soccer | EPL, Liverpool | $6,662,820 | $36,327 (UK) |
| Yemen | Ali Al-Nono | soccer | Yemen, Al-Ahli San'a' | $20,000 | $1,437 |
| Zambia | Chris Katongo | soccer | China, Henan Construction | $458,000 | $1,238 |
| Zimbabwe | Nick Price | golf | PGA, Champions Tour, 2011 | $1,313,439 | $573 |
| Data gathered by Ben Bradley, Marius Breazu, Nir Efraty, Sulaiman Folarin, Yang-Yi Goh, Dylan Hanley, Nick Harris, Jim Keller, Chris Mammides, John Mastroberardino, Gueorgui Milkov, John Nestor, Aaron Nielsen, Lora Sharnoff and Rhett Umphress | |||||
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