NIGERIA’S DUO OF ANTHONY JOSHUA AND ODION IGHALO RATED AMONG 18 RICHEST SPORTS STARS!

Two Nigerians have been rated among the richest sports stars of the world who are aged 30 or under.

 According to a list unveiled by Sunday Times in Britain, Anthony Joshua is ranked the second richest after Gareth Bale of Real Madrid.

Joshua is also the only non-footballer in the list dominated by Manchester United players. This may not be a surprise as Manchester United is one of the wealthiest clubs in the world.

There are five players inside the top 18 – with Paul Pogba leading the way from the Old Trafford outfit.

The midfielder, 27, sits third in this list with a wealth of £50million. His worth has increased by £13m from 2019 seeing him jump up five places from eighth.

Odion Ighalo, a new entrant into the list, is number 15.  He is one of the five Manchester United players rated. Joining them is goalkeeper David de Gea. The Spaniard – who became Manchester United’s highest-paid star after signing a new £375000-a-week contract in September – is joint-fourth at £34m. 

His worth rose by £10m to see him move alongside Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne.

Like De Gea, Anthony Martial signed a new deal at United last year – worth £200,000-a-week – and that increase has helped him become a new entry in this list. He sits joint-11th with wealth of £20m alongside Liverpool centre back Virgil van Dijk, who is another new entry.

Luke Shaw complete the quintuplet of Red Devils. 

New entry Shaw sits joint-13th with Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah at £19m.

Meanwhile Ighalo is just beneath them in joint-15th. The on-loan striker’s £18m wealth is explained by his substantial £300,000-a-week wage at parent club Shanghai Shenhua.

Ighalo, who will be 31 in June, is on loan at United until the end of the month with the Premier League side contributing £130,000 a week towards his wages.

In the top 18 Anthony Joshua is the only non-footballer having made the cut.

The boxer sits second in the list with a wealth of £107m. This is an increase of £58m from 2019 – the biggest fortune rise of anyone.

The 30-year-old made the majority of that money from his two bouts with Andy Ruiz Jnr. The first fight – which resulted in a shock loss – took place at Madison Square Garden, New York in June.

The rematch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – which saw him regain the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight belts, is reported to have earned him an estimated £60m before tax and deductions.

Only Gareth Bale surpasses Joshua. Bale, who was second last year and turns 31 in July, has moved into first place with a wealth of £114m. The Real Madrid forward’s fortune has increased by £20m. His basic salary is £350,000 a week, which can rise to £600,000 a week.

The most surprising entry in the top 10 is Daniel Sturridge. He is ninth in the list with a wealth of £22m. This is despite the fact he has been without a club since March. 

The 30-year-old is currently serving a four-month ban for breaching betting rules and saw his contract at Turkish club Trabzonspor terminated by mutual agreement as a result.