WENN
As we all know, being a professional athlete is one of the most desirable and sought-after occupations on Planet Earth.
You get paid millions of dollars to travel the world playing the game that you love. You never have to work a day in your life. People recognize you wherever you go. Now that you’re rich, things finally start to come free. You get to ride on yachts!
But, despite all those previously mentioned benefits of being rich, it can be argued the greatest of them all isn’t a thing at all — it’s a person. That’s right — it’s not the money, it’s not the fame, it’s not the lifestyle that makes being an athlete so desirable — it’s the women.
And the 50 athletes on this list definitely have figured out that while money may be the means, a good woman is the end.
50. Dustin Johnson
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh2_eEZg_UN/?taken-by=paulinagretzky
Sport: Golf
Yearly Earnings: $25 million
What is there to say about Paulina Gretzky — Dustin Johson’s longtime partner– that hasn’t already been said?
The daughter of Wayne ‘The Great One’ Gretzky, Paulina — despite the fact that she’s already had two children — is easily one of the sexiest women on Instagram. While Dustin and Paulina aren’t quite married, they’ve been together for some time, and share two children together. We could go on and on about Paulina’s pierce-your-soul eyes and perfect body, but you’re better off taking it in for yourself.
49. Kevin Love
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoUbKj1AIJQ/?taken-by=katebock
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $26.9 M
Kevin Love came into the league and the thiccc white guy who could post double-doubles in his sleep, and now he’s an NBA Champion, handsome AF, and is dating Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue model Kate Bock. If that’s not the definition of the come up, I don’t know what is. Bock, a Canadian fashion model born on January 30, 1989, was featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue from 2013 to 2018.
48. Wayne Rooney
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnv3Qd2FdBC/?taken-by=coleen_rooney
Sport: Soccer
Yearly Earnings: $27 M
Most casual Americans may not be familiar with Wayne Rooney, but in his day, this dude was one of the baddest soccer players on the planet. In fact, he is Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer, and while you may not have heard of Wayne Rooney, you’ve definitely heard of Manchester United, so you know how legit that is.
Rooney is a little older these days, though, so he does what all aging soccer players do: moved to the United States (with his gorgeous wife Coleen Rooney) and gets paid millions dominate in Major League Soccer. Wayne married his wife Coleen on June 12, 2008. The couple has four children together.
47. Dwight Howard
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlodLtZhXCH/?taken-by=roycereed
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $27.1 M
Dwight Howard, remember him? At one point, Dwight Howard was one of the best five basketball players on Earth and led the lowly Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals.
But that was almost a decade ago. These days, Dwight Howard is as washed up as they come, bouncing from team to team as his NBA career winds down.
Similar to his career, no one knows or cares much about Dwight Howard’s dating life these days, but we do know that he had a baby with Basketball Wives star Royce Reed back in 2007.
46. Paul George
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm7I4SAAUrW/?taken-by=jessicaburciaga
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $27.2 M
Paul George is one of the quietest, most-low key NBA superstars (which is relative considering that no NBA superstar — other than Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard — are “low-key”) and as a result, not much is known about his dating life.
However, back in 2013, George was rumored to be “dating” Jessica Burciaga, a stunning Mexican-American model who is seven years his senior.
Burciaga, a former Playmate, was Playmate of the Month in February 2009.
45. Kirk Cousins
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQg0pzDF829/?taken-by=kirk.cousins
Sport: Football
Yearly Earnings: $28.4 M
Kirk Cousins — yes, boring, vanilla, corny white dude Kirk Cousins — is actually a revolutionary in some ways.
Cousins’ 3-year, $84 million dollar contract with the Minnesota Vikings was one of the first of its kind, as all $84 million dollars are guaranteed. But because Cousins is just such a regular, corny white guy, he was already married and couldn’t do anything really fun with the money.
Still, his wife ain’t half bad. Kirk and his wife Julie Hampton got married in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 28, 2014. The couple has one son together.
44. Justin Verlander
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk3FnImH1dI/?taken-by=kateupton
Sport: Baseball
Yearly Earnings: $29.4 M
Look, Justin Verlander is an absolute BEAST of a pitcher. First ballot Hall of Famer, no doubt about it. But one of life’s great mysteries will remain how the hell Verlander managed to scored Kate Upton in her prime.
If you don’t remember or weren’t old enough at the time, Kate Upton in her prime broke onto the scene like few models ever have:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCUnWIs88CQ
And in that prime, she ended up landing on … Detroit Tigers (at the time) pitcher Justin Verlander, who essentially looks like a more athletic version of a neighborhood dad. Sure, he’s very well paid, but still.
Ironically enough, while Verlander seems to be getting better with age, Upton still hasn’t hit the peaks of that iconic Cat Daddy. That said, she’s among the 1% most beautiful women on Earth so she’s still doing alright. Kate and Justin got married in Tuscany, Italy, on November 4, 2017. In July 2018, the couple announced that Kate was pregnant with their first child.
43. Paul Pogba
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn7zlRgj2fS/?tagged=mariasalaues
Sport: Soccer
Yearly Earnings: $29.5 M
The second soccer player on this list, while Wayne Rooney was one of the best soccer players on the planet, Paul Pogba currently is one of the best players on planet Earth.
Pogba is a midfielder for Manchester United who led France to a World Cup title in 2018.
Pogba’s success has come both on and off the field: in addition to winning the World Cup, he is one of the highest paid players on Earth and is currently Bolivian model Maria Salaues. Salaues was in attendance when Pogba lifted the World Cup trophy in Russia.
42. Albert Pujols
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUdKNgMFZvn/?taken-by=albertpujols
Sport: Baseball
Yearly Earnings: $30.3 M
Similar to previous entry Wayne Rooney, there was a time during the 2000’s where Albert Pujols was one of the best in the world at what he did.
Back when he was on the Cardinals, you essentially couldn’t pitch to Albert Pujols as he’d likely smack it out of the park. As a result, Pujols currently sits sixth all-time on the Major League Baseball home runs list. However, despite his out-of-this-world talent and all-time records, Pujols has always been a rather low-key guy, as his longtime wife suggests. Pujols and his wife Deidre got married on January 1, 2000.
41. Kyle Lowry
https://www.instagram.com/p/Boh_JTeFqPR/?taken-by=katyaelisehenry
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $30.5 M
Did you know Kyle Lowry has been in the NBA since … *checks Google* … 2006?! And while he’s had a decent career, I truly cannot think of a single memorable moment from his career.
And while Lowry — who was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 24th pick in the 2006 NBA draft — may lack memorable highlights, he makes up for with consistency.
While Lowry was once married, he and his wife have since split up, and he’s more recently been linked to Instagram model Katya Elise Henry.
40. David Price
https://www.instagram.com/p/Blk2MUABXvS/?taken-by=prettyeyes_03
Sport: Baseball
Yearly Earnings: $30.7 M
Despite being one of the best pitches in Major League Baseball for most of his career, David Price’s postseason career has been anything but stellar. Is it a lack of the clutch gene? Is he too old? Does he let the pressure get to him? Who knows — but what we do know is that he’s paid well enough that he should be winning postseason games.
While Price signed a seven-year, $217 million contract with the Boston Red Sox in December 2015, he has a meager 2-8 postseason record and 5.03 ERA to show for it. If there’s anyone knows why Price just doesn’t have it in the playoffs, maybe it’s his wife Tiffany Price.
39. Gordon Hayward
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm3jryUg6Te/?taken-by=robynmhayward
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $30.8 M
Robyn Hayward, the wife of Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, is responsible for one of the most unintentionally hilarious viral videos of 2018.
Look, as a guy, we’ve all been there — you want a little boy to raise in a miniature version of yourself. Guess you’ve got to just keep shooting, Gordon. Given that your wife is a 10/10, though, we’re sure that’s not much of a problem. Robyn Hayward gave birth to the couple’s first child in 2015 and their second child in July 2016. They are expecting a third daughter to be born in 2019.
38. Usain Bolt
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnPUofRF-_K/?taken-by=kasi.b
Sport: Track
Yearly Earnings: $31 M
While being the Fastest Man in the World may be great for Usain Bolt’s career, it may not be so great for his girlfriend Kasi Bennett.
37. Dwayne Wade
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmjP0tZAyss/?taken-by=gabunion
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $31.8 M
Nicky Nelson/WENN.com
In case you only recognize Gabrielle Union as Dwayne Wade’s wife (watch something other than sports, bud), we’ll be quick to remind you Union was one of the first crushes that 90’s kids ever had, as she starred in millennial classics such as 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Bring It On (2000) and Bad Boys II (2003).
These days, while Union’s acting career isn’t as prolific as it once was, she remains one of the coolest and hottest chicks in Hollywood. Gabrielle and Dwayne began dating in 2009, became engaged in December 2013, and got married on August 30, 2014, in Miami, of course.
36. Chris Paul
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhzwbPrHl-W/?taken-by=jada_ap
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $31.9 M
Similar to previous entries Paul George and Albert Pujols, despite his stature as one of the most notable athletes in their respective sports, Chris Paul lives a generally low-key life — other than the fact that he’s apart of the famed Banana Boat Crew with LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwayne Wade.
Never appearing in the tabloids, Paul married his college girlfriend Jada Crawley on September 10, 2011. Chris and Jada have two children together.
35. DeMar DeRozan
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoF3RuBB8WF/?taken-by=ki_mo
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $33 M
When the Spurs traded Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors for DemarDReRozan, it sent shockwaves through the NBA, especially because it caused Kawhi Leonard to unleash his sadistic laugh on the world.
But while everyone focused on Top 5 player Kawhi Leonard heading north of the border, people forgot that Top 15 players DeMar DeRozan would now be coached by the best NBA history, Gregg Popovich. But while we all know that DeRozan is was initially bummed by the move to San Antonio, one has to wonder how his girlfriend Kiara Morrison feels about moving to the middle of Texas.
According to some rumors, Demar and Kiara are recently got engaged.
34. Carmelo Anthony
an Nikolov/WENN.com
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $33.2 M
Carmelo Anthony has had a really rough couple of years (if it’s possible to have a rough few years when you’re that rich).
First, news broke that Carmelo and his wife LaLa had separated after it had been discovered that Carmelo impregnated a stripper. Then, he looked like a shell of his former All-Star self while playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder — averaging just 16 points per game, down 8 points from his 24 PPG career average.
But while Melo seems to be on the decline, his ex-wife LaLa looks like she’s on the upswing as she’s been looking fine than ever in recent years. Melo and LaLa originally got married on July 10, 2010, at Cipriani’s in New York City.
33. Clayton Kershaw
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm3uFM1DI7B/?tagged=ellenkershaw
Sport: Baseball
Yearly Earnings: $34.5 M
During his MLB career, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. So dominant, in fact, that the Dodgers signed Kershaw to a franchise record seven-year, $215 million contract extension back in 2013. Not to bad if you ask us.
But despite the fact that he has all the money in the world, Kershaw is one of the most low-key elite professional athletes in the country.
Kershaw married Ellen — his girlfriend of seven years who he knew since he was a teenager — back in 2010 and has lived happily ever after since. Clayton and Ellen Kershaw have launched “Kershaw’s Challenge” and wrote the book Arise to raise money to build an orphanage in Zambia.
32. Gareth Bale
https://www.instagram.com/p/Boff99oFOko/?tagged=emmarhysjones
Sport: Soccer
Yearly Earnings: $34.6 M
Emma Rhys-Jones is the childhood sweetheart of soccer superstar Gareth Bale.
Gareth Bale, born July 16, 1989, is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a winger for La Liga giants Real Madrid and the Wales national team.
At the time when Bale transferred from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Marid, it was the most expensive transfer fee in history, which made Bale the most expensive footballer in the world for a period of time. Bale announced that he and Rhys-Jones had got engaged on July 17, 2016. The couple have three children together.
31. Ryan Tannehill
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcQc1qEAXmH/?taken-by=laurentannehill
Sport: Football
Yearly Earnings: $35.2 M
While Ryan Tannehill, the quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, may be one of the most mediocre quarterbacks in the NFL, his wife is anything but mediocre. Ryan and Lauren Tannehill met while the two were attending Texas A&M University, got married in January 2012, and now have two children together.
30. Blake Griffin
Patricia Schlein/WENN.com
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $35.5 M
Despite being shipped from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Detroit Pistons, Blake Griffin still lives that Hollywood lifestyle, as evidenced by his model girlfriend Francesca Aiello.
While there’s no indication that Griffin and Aiello are anything more than a fling (Griffin has dated a Kardashian, after all), we’re not complaining about her inclusion on this list at all.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhmI3Ldgn0_/?taken-by=francescaaiello
Bonus Kendall Jenner gallery, who Blake Griffin used to date while playing for the Los Angeles Clippers:
29. Giannis Antetokounmpo
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWxcGlwjPx8/?tagged=mariahriddlesprigger
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $35.5 M
Everyone remembers Giannis Antetokounmpo’s girlfriend Mariah Riddlesprigger from this hilarious viral video where Giannis put his girl on the spot during an IG live video.
Other than this video, not much is known about Riddlesprigger other than she clearly has a decent sense of humor if she’s able to put up with Giannis’ nonsense.
There is no word on whether or not Giannis is going to take their relationship to the next level anytime soon, but given his age and maturity level, that doesn’t seem likely anytime soon.
28. Kyrie Irving
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bno-INvgU-E/?taken-by=chanteljeffries
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $36.1 M
Kyrie Irving — he of the flat-earth theory — is currently dating former Justin Bieber fling Chantel Jeffries.
Chantel Jeffries is a stunning American DJ and model with over 4 million Instagram followers. Jeffries, born October 1, 1992, released her debut single, “Wait”, on May 2, 2018. The single peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.
Chantel is just as well known for her relationships as she is for her music, as she has reportedly dated Justin Bieber, Justin Combs (the son of Sean Combs), NFL receiver Desean Jackson, and The Weeknd.
27. Jimmy Garapolo
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkJMfCTH03z/?taken-by=alexroseking
Sport: Football
Yearly Earnings: $36.2 M
While San Fransisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo made tabloid headlines during the 2018 offseason for going out on a date with pornstar Kiara Mia, it’s his ex-girlfriend Alexandra King that everyone should be talking about.
Jimmy and King obviously didn’t end on good terms, though, as she more or less celebrated when Jimmy tore his ACL in 2018.
26. Anthony Joshua
Patricia Schlein/WENN.com
Sport: Boxing
Yearly Earnings: $39 M
Despite being one of the best boxers in the world, the average American probably has never heard of Anthony Joshua.
Joshua, a British professional boxer, is considered to be the best heavyweight in the world. And because of that status as one of the world’s best fighters, Joshua has been linked to some heavyweights such as Bella Hadid (he and Hadid were reportedly flirting back in 2017)
So while Joshua and Hadid never “officially” dated, this gives us an excuse to look at pictures of Bella regardless, which is always a win.
25. Damian Lillard
https://www.instagram.com/p/s6JONVhRPf/?taken-by=kay_lamariee
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $39.2 M
Portland Trailblazers point guard Damian Lillard is yet another entry on this list that may have gotten wife’d up too early.
Drafted number 6 overall by the Portland Trailblazers in the 2012 draft, Lillard has been with his girlfriend Kay’La Hanso since the two were attending Weber State University together.
Lillard and Hanso — who was a pre-med student at Weber State University in Utah — welcomed their first child, a boy named Dame Jr., in March of 2018.
24. Alex Smith
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgZMuyLjQH0/?taken-by=lizbsmith11
Sport: Football
Yearly Earnings: $41.4 M
While Alex Smith may be one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the history of the National Football League, his wife Elizabeth Barry can never be underrated.
Smith married Elizabeth Barry — a former Oakland Raiders cheerleader — in 2009. The couple has two sons together, Hudson and Hayes.
23. Rafael Nadal
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnbySmzikaX/?taken-by=xiscaperellofans
Sport: Tennis
Yearly Earnings: $41.4 M
One of two tennis players on this list (we’re sure you can guess the other), Rafael Nadal, still just 32 years old, has a chance to go down in history as the greatest tennis player that ever lived.
With 17 Grand Slam titles to his name, he has the second most in history for a male player.
While Nadal has never been married, he has reportedly been dating 30-year-old insurance worker Xisca Perelló since 2005. However, no plans for engagement or marriage have ever been publicly announced.
22. Derek Carr
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnHpjwWhCRv/?taken-by=heathercarr4
Sport: Football
Yearly Earnings: $42.1 M
Here’s a fun fact about Derek Carr: he was married before he was drafted into the National Football League, which is frankly shocking in today’s day and age.
Carr married his wife Heather Neel on June 29, 2012 — during his JUNIOR YEAR at Fresno State. During my junior year, I was still using a fake ID to get into bars at Rutgers and here this dude is saying his vows. Derek and Heather have two sons together: Dallas and Deker Luke.
21. Drew Brees
https://www.instagram.com/p/BliQyuzAhmM/?taken-by=drewbrees
Sport: Football
Yearly Earnings: $42.7 M
Drew and Brittany Brees actually have one of the best “how we met” stories on this list, as they drunkenly met while at a party at Purdue University.
According to Drew himself, he was celebrating his 20th birthday during his sophomore year of college and had about “17 shots” before he made a fool of himself by unleashing a “typical football player cheesy line” on Brittany.
While Drew never elaborated on what exactly that cheesy line was, he did reveal that he finally gained the courage to ask Brittany out again six months later. The rest, as they say, is history.
20. Jordan Speith
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhhrLXrhcdx/?tagged=annieverret
Sport: Golf
Yearly Earnings: $42.9 M
If you don’t know Annie Verret, the girlfriend of Masters winner Jordan Spieth, you’re about to.
The Texan beauty has been dating the golf star since high school and is now getting some attention after a photographed smooch made waves amongst diehard Spieth fans.
A graduate of Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University, Verret and Spieth are one of the “it” couples of golf. On January 2, 2018, Spieth confirmed that he and his long-time girlfriend had gotten engaged.
19. Canelo Alvarez
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoGBdhtAInY/?taken-by=marisolglzc
Sport: Boxing
Yearly Earnings: $44.5 M
While Canelo Alvarez may not be the biggest name in combat sports (fellow ginger Conor McGregor currently holds that title), he’s certainly the biggest name in boxing, and being the biggest name in boxing comes with money and fame that most of us cannot even imagine.
Due to his remarkably successful boxing career, not only does Canelo Alvarez half a net worth of about $50 million, but he’s also dating the stunning Marisol González. González is a Mexican television personality, actor, and beauty pageant titleholder who once competed in the Miss Universe contest.
18. Russell Westbrook
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlpFMq7nRvg/?taken-by=ninaamarie_w
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $47.6 M
Another entry on this list, another superstar athlete who settled down way too young.
Russell Westbrook, the point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, is arguably one of the most exciting players to ever step foot on an NBA court. But while Westbrook has made a name of himself with ferocious dunks and high-fashion outfits, his off-the-court persona isn’t nearly as flamboyant as his on-the-court persona.
Off-the-court, Westbrook as a rather laid-back guy who married his college sweetheart Nina Earl. Westbrook and Earl, who already have one child together, are expecting a set of female twins during the Fall of 2018.
17. Phil Mickelson
https://www.instagram.com/p/tahIaxHEIb/?tagged=amymickelson
Sport: Golf
Yearly Earnings: $41.3 M
While Phil Mickelson spent most of his professional golfing career living in the shadow of Tiger Woods, he’s still had himself quite a happy little career, as he’s racked up an astronomical net worth as compared to other professional golfers. Phil and Amy Mickelson got married in 1996 and have three children together.
16. Tiger Woods
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZvqGHmhOiN/?tagged=tigerwoods
Sport: Golf
Yearly Earnings: $43.3 M
Tiger Woods is looking like he’s back to his old self these days, and if you ask him about it, he’ll give much of the credit to his girlfriend Erica Herman.
Herman, 33, was the general manager of The Woods — a Woods-branded pop-up restaurant at the Genesis Open — prior to dating Tiger. When Tiger won the Tour Championship in September — his first Tour win in 5 years — Herman was spotted right by his side. Of course, Herman is just one of many of Woods’ girlfriends over the past couple of years, as he’s been linked to Lindsey Vonn, Kristin Smith, and Lacy Kay Summers.
15. James Harden
Apega/WENN.com
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $46.4 M
Didn’t know James Harden once dated Ashanti! Me either.
But apparently, in the Spring of 2018, the two were spotted together multiple times, with sources confirming to tabloid blog Terez Owens that the two were definitely a “thing.” Harden — otherwise known as The Beard — famously dated Khloe Kardashian in the past.
14. Rory McIlroy
https://www.instagram.com/p/BORyeRNjCCX/?tagged=ericastoll
Sport: Golf
Yearly Earnings: $47.7 M
As a regular guy, it’s hard for me to wrap my head around a super-rich, world-famous golfer settling down in his 20s. Yet that’s exactly what our man Rory McIlroy — who was worth hundreds of millions of dollars while in his 20s — did.
In 2015, McIlroy started dating former PGA of America employee Erica Stoll in 2015, and by December of that year, the couple was reportedly engaged. McIlroy and Stoll got married at Ashford Castle in Cong, County Mayo, in April 2017.
13. Andrew Luck
Some serious prep going on before women's gymnastics qualifications. pic.twitter.com/Cj9WuaD8Nw
— John Andy Nicole (@superherosthree) August 7, 2016
Sport: Football
Yearly Earnings: $50 Million
As we all know, Andrew Luck is one of the goofiest dudes to ever step foot in the NFL — there’s no doubt about it. Every time he opens his mouth he sounds like the incredibly lame love child of Mr. Rogers and Peyton Manning.
But, no matter how awkward and corny Luck may be, he has the one thing that many of us don’t — millions and millions of dollars. And armed with that kind of money, almost anything is possible, including scoring yourself a gorgeous girlfriend. And that’s exactly what ole Andrew ‘Neck Beard’ Luck has done, as his girlfriend Nicole Pechanec — a field producer at ESPN and NBC Sports — is the definition of a keeper.
12. Lewis Hamilton
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnYo1rjnNe8/?taken-by=ritaora
Sport: Auto Racing
Yearly Earnings: $51 M
While Lewis Hamilton may not have a current girlfriend, his former lover’s list is a murders row of beauty.
Hamilton, a British racing driver who races in Formula One and is widely considered the best of his generation, has been linked to some heavy hitters throughout his time on the A-List, having reportedly dated the likes of Rita Ora, Barbara Pavlin, Nicole Scherzinger, Winnie Harlow, and most recently, Nicki Minaj. While race car drivers are generally average in the United States, apparently they crush it over in England.
11. Kevin Durant
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $57.3 M
To be honest, we were shocked to find out that Golden State Warriors small forward Kevin Durant has a real-life girlfriend.
You know, given that whole Twitter-burner-account-fiasco, I guess I just assumed that Durant spent his days getting catfished. But alas, KD does actually seem to have some real-world social skills, at least enough to land him his new girlfriend, Bay Area real estate agent Cassandra Anderson.
Anderson was first spotted showing up at KD’s Warriors games back in April 2018 and the two have reportedly been going steady since.
10. Matthew Stafford
https://www.instagram.com/p/BW-oxzoF8Tu/?taken-by=kbstafford89
Sport: Football
Yearly Earnings: $59.5 M
Matthew Stafford and his wife Kelly Hall have such a stereotypical “how we met” story that it could be turned into a romantic comedy.
While at the University of Georgia, Matthew was the handsome and soon-to-be-rich quarterback, and Kelly — the sister of former NFL player Chad Hall — was one of the many gorgeous blondes on the university’s cheerleading team.
The two got married on April 4, 2015, and Kelly gave birth to their to twin daughters — Chandler and Sawyer — in March 2017. The couple welcomed their third daughter, Hunter Hope, on August 16, 2018.
9. Matt Ryan
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbb_k9VDsrw/?taken-by=sryan03
Sport: Football
Yearly Earnings: $67.3 M
When people analyze Matt Ryan’s NFL career, the general consensus seems to be that he could just never get it done in the clutch (so far). And while Ryan may have a clear inability to come up big in the clutch on the football field, he’s shown no evidence of lacking the clutch gene off-the-field, as he was able to lock down his gorgeous wife Sarah.
8. Stephen Curry
Johnny Louis/WENN.com
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $76.9 M
Ayesha Curry is the wife of Golden State Warriors point guard and former NBA MVP Steph Curry. Ever since Curry blew up to become one of the best basketball players on Earth, Ayesha carved out a nice little niche of fame for herself as an actress, celebrity cook, cookbook author, and television personality.
7. Roger Federer
https://www.instagram.com/p/BofvNscjC50/?tagged=mirkafederer
Sport: Tennis
Yearly Earnings: $77.2 M
Roger Federer is like a fine wine — the dude just gets better with age. Despite the fact that he’s now 37-years-old (at the time of this writing), Federer is as deadly as ever on the tennis court, with his most recent Grand Slam victory coming at the 2018 Australian Open.
Maybe the reason that Federer has gotten better with age is that he is married to a tennis player and therefore her iron is constantly sharpening his iron (if you know what we mean). Federer married former Women’s Tennis Association player Miroslava Federer on April 11, 2009. The couple met while competing for Switzerland at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
6. LeBron James
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnAk027lMJG/?taken-by=mrs_savannahrj
Sport: Basketball
Yearly Earnings: $85.5 M
One of the most likable things about LeBron James is how down to Earth he seems for his extreme levels of talent and fame.
He’s a doting Dad, he’s bald, and he’s been with the same woman since high school. Yes, despite the fact that he’s one of the most recognizable athletes on Earth, King James has been with his high school sweetheart Savannah since day one.
5. Neymar Jr.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd1NIVTFxFP/?taken-by=brumarquezine
Sport: Soccer
Yearly Earnings: $90 M
Here’s the difference between soccer stars and football stars: a football player is recognized in the United States, but a soccer player is recognized globally. Todd Gurley is arguably one of the best players in the NFL, but if you dropped him in the middle of Paris, no one would recognize him.
As for Neymar Jr., he’s chosen Bruna Marquezine, a Brazilian actress and model. Marquezine, whose birth name is Bruna Reis Maia, was born in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro. She adopted the surname Marquezine as a tribute to her grandmother.
4. Conor McGregor
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Sport: MMA
Yearly Earnings: $99 M
Conor McGregor is the biggest star in the UFC and arguably the most famous fighter in the world. He’s brash, arrogant and endlessly entertaining, and everyone knows it. But what some people might not know about Conor McGregor is that he’s also a committed family man.
McGregor has been with his wife Dee Devlin since 2008 and the pair recently welcomed their first child together in 2017. Devlin is originally from Walkinstown, Dublin and has been with McGregor long before he was an international superstar.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo
Hubert Boesl/picture-alliance/Cover Images
Sport: Soccer
Yearly Earnings: $108 M
We’re not sure if you guys knew this, but international soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo does quite well with the ladies.
During his run as the world’s most famous soccer player, all of the women that Ronaldo has been linked with — Irina Shayk, Kim Kardashian, Gemma Atkinson, Nereida Gallardo and more — have one thing in common: they’re absolutely stunning. And his most recent girlfriend/baby mama, Georgina Rodriguez, is no different, as she is equally as stunning as Ronaldo’s past girlfriends.
2. Lionel Messi
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Sport: Soccer
Yearly Earnings: $111 M
Antonella Roccuzzo, born February 26, 1988, is Lionel Messi’s wife. Messi, of course, is a professional soccer player for FC Barcelona and the Argentina National Team and is largely considered by many people to be the best soccer player to ever live.
However, like a decent portion of this list, Messi has always lived a low-key life and has remained with one woman for a majority of his career. Roccuzzo was born in Rosario, Argentina, and is the cousin Lucas Scaglia, Messi’s childhood friend. The couple, who reportedly began dating back in 2007, got married in July of 2017.
1. Floyd Mayweather
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Sport: Boxing
Yearly Earnings: $285 M
Look, Floyd Mayweather is a scumbag and his history with women is disgusting. This much we know. But regardless — because the world is a terrible place — he consistently remains one of the highest paid athletes in the world.
And because of that significant money and fame, women are always going to flock to him, with the latest reportedly being Instagram “model” Jennifer Duran.
Hopefully, when we write this list next year, there will be another name at the top. But for now, Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather remains the highest paid athlete on Earth.
