Juan Soto makes history with the biggest contract in sport worth a staggering £599m but with Cristiano Ronaldo only fourth with his £420m three-year deal at Al-Nassr, who else makes the top 10?

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The world of sport is no stranger to mind-boggling wages, but somehow the New York Mets have entered new territory with their contract offer for Juan Soto. 

The 26-year-old Yankees outfielder has signed a deal with their local rivals worth a reported £599million ($765m) having hit 41 home runs in the 2024 regular season before entering free agency. 

While the Dominican slugger must still complete a medical, the Major League Baseball (MLB) website claimed that he will receive a £58.7m ($75m) bonus with no deferred money. 

American sports regular utilise deferred payments in bumper deals, which allows a club to make some of the payments beyond the time restraints of the contract. 

While Soto's deal is believed to be the most expensive in the history of sport, it is not that far beyond the previous leader. 

In the 10 highest paying contracts in the history of sport four were signed by baseball players, with three for football, and one each for boxing, golf and NFL, according to numbers from Spanish outlet Marca.

Juan Soto's new 15-year deal with the New York Jets will see him pocket a record £599m

That means he will earn more than some of sport's biggest names such as Cristiano Ronaldo

Canelo Alvarez is the only boxer in the top 10, having had a five-year DAZN deal worth £281.9m

In 10th place comes four-weight boxing world champion Canelo Alvarez, who signed a deal with DAZN back in 2018 up until 2023. 

Alvarez is no stranger to big pay days, with boxing purses in the modern era frequently defying imagination, but that agreement was reportedly worth a staggering £281.9m ($360m). 

Next up in ninth is the second of four baseball stars after Soto, with Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Betts put pen to paper over a contract believed to have been worth £285.8m ($365m) in 2021, when he signed terms for a 12-year deal. 

Though the Dodgers won the World Series, their success appears to be coming at a cost, with their overall deferred payments reaching more than £783m ($1billion) for just seven players. 

Baseballer number three is up next in eighth thanks to Mike Trout's £334m ($426.5m) 12-year deal with the Dodgers' local rivals the Los Angeles Angels five years ago. 

In seventh we have our first footballer, and it's perhaps not one of the three names you'd expect to see on this list. 

Karim Benzema's move to Al-Ittihad came as something of a surprise for the then-Ballon d'Or incumbent from Real Madrid to move to the Saudi Pro League, although it would appear that he signed incredible favourable terms to do so. 

Karim Benzema's move to Saudi Arabia sees him come seventh with £335.1m ($428m) 

Kansas Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' contract is worth a whopping £393.9m ($503m)

Jon Rahm is tucking away £411.1m ($525m) in his back pocket with his LIV Golf deal

The former French international's deal at Al-Ittihad reportedly sees him earn £335.1m ($428m) between 2023 and the end of his contract in 2025, and astonishing as it seems that's not even the biggest in his league, let alone the sport. 

Next up we go back to the USA and Patrick Mahomes, who according to Marca signed the sixth-biggest sports contract in history with a £393.9m ($503m) deal. 

The Kansas Chiefs' star quarterback's contract was a 10-year extension that will see him remain at the franchise until 2031, when he could surpass Tom Brady's record seven Super Bowl rings. 

After Mahomes in fifth comes Jon Rahm, golf's sole representative on Marca's list thanks to his deal to join LIV in 2023. 

The Spanish two-time major winner's contract with the breakaway Saudi circuit runs up until 2029, and is thought to earn him some £411.1m ($525m) for his troubles. 

He is only just short of one of the greatest footballers of all time in Cristiano Ronaldo on a reported £420m ($536m) deal, joining Al-Nassr in late 2022 on a three-year deal.

In a move that arguably sparked the emergence of the Saudi Pro League as a rival market to the European game in recent years, Ronaldo has seemingly been well remunerated for his decision to go to Saudi Arabia, according to Marca's numbers. 

Unfortunately it is not sufficient to top his great rival. Lionel Messi's final contract at Barcelona between 2017 and 2021 reportedly saw him take home £527m ($674m).

Lionel Messi's final contract at Barcelona was worth £527m ($674m), enough for the top three

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers pushes Soto close with £547.3m ($700m)

But Soto, 26 comes out on top after ditching the New York Mets for the Yankees 

In that time he helped them win a further two LaLiga titles and he lifted the Ballon d'Or in 2019, but he was unable to add another Champions League title to club's the trophy cabinet despite his exorbitant wages. 

Despite football's global popularity, its highest-earning stars do not trump that of baseball, which claims the top two spots in this list. 

Shohei Ohtani, a pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers, comes in second on £547.3m ($700m) for his deal between 2023 and 2033.

Despite an elbow injury, the Japanese star rewarded the Dodgers with a record-breaking personal season to help lead them to their first championship since 2020.

Last but certainly not least - in fact, as far away from least as any sports player on earth - is Soto. 

His 15-year deal with the Mets will see him bank £598.2m ($765m) - enough to pay Ohtani's contract and still have around £51m to spare for himself!