Saul Canelo Alvarez just punched his way to the top of the sporting rich list, and it’s not even close. This past weekend, Canelo stepped into the ring against William Scull in Saudi Arabia and walked out not only with his hand raised, but with his bank balance looking healthier than ever. Thanks to a jaw-dropping deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Canelo is set to earn a guaranteed $200 million (£175 million) in 2025 from just two fights-making him the highest-paid athlete on the planet.
Canelo Alvarez’s Saudi Super-Deal: Earning £20,000 an Hour and Leaving Footballers in the Dust
Let’s break it down: Canelo’s current contract is a four-fight, $400 million (£302 million) blockbuster, and his first payday for the year, just for showing up and doing what he does best, was a staggering $80 million (£64 million) for the Scull fight alone. That’s before he even throws a punch in his upcoming superfight against Terence Crawford, which will only add to his already mountainous earnings.
To put these numbers in perspective, research from Prime Casino, who offer the latest live casinos, has determined that Canelo will be earning £14.58 million per month, £479,500 per day, and a cheeky £19,977 per hour. That’s £333 every minute, or £5.55 every single second. If you’re reading this sentence, Canelo just made more than most people’s monthly rent.
And it’s not just about the fight purses. Canelo’s deal is so lucrative that he’s leapfrogged global icons like Cristiano Ronaldo, Jon Rahm, and Oleksandr Usyk, all of whom also have Saudi-backed deals. Ronaldo, for instance, is banking £171 million a year at Al-Nassr, which is impressive-until you realize Canelo has just edged him out by a cool £4 million.
Golf’s Jon Rahm, despite not winning a single tournament in 2024, still managed to pull in £150 million thanks to his partnership with LIV Golf. Usyk, fresh off two heavyweight title wins over Tyson Fury, settled for £90.7 million. Neymar, even with a year plagued by injuries, still made £81.6 million, mostly from his Al-Hilal contract and a short return to Santos.
But Canelo’s deal stands out for its sheer scale and simplicity: two fights, $200 million, guaranteed. No win bonuses, no performance clauses, just cold, hard cash for showing up and putting on a show. And with another two fights scheduled for 2026, his total haul could reach $400 million (£302 million) before he even considers hanging up the gloves.
For a bit of context, let’s compare: Dak Prescott, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, is due to make $86.3 million (£65.3 million) in the 2024 NFL season, which is impressive in American sports, but still doesn’t touch Canelo’s numbers. Even with signing bonuses and commercial deals, nobody in the sporting world is keeping pace with the Mexican superstar this year.
Thanks to the deep pockets of Saudi Arabia and a deal that would make even the world’s top footballers blush, he’s now the undisputed champion of athlete paydays. And with every tick of the clock, that gap is only getting wider.
