Last year, Major League Baseball (MLB) saw the highest percentage of Latinos playing. An impressive 31.9% of Latino players in MLB means that this is the highest it has been in the last two decades. (Source: https://www.zonasuplementos.com/)
Sports in North America, and worldwide, are seeing an increase of ethnicity in their professional teams and diversity in their players. Check out who the highest ranking net worth Latino athletes are around the world.
Ethnicity in sport
Ethnicity in sport is important because it impacts sport and physical activity patterns. Ethnic minorities such as African-American and Latino athletes have experienced a long history of exclusion from professional major sports.
In recent years, more teams are ensuring not to exclude players due to their ethnicity, however, it is still apparent that some sports completely lack ethnicity. Research has found that negative stereotypes related to ethnicity are common in sports and lead to performance decrements.
There’s still a long way to go in making professional sports an equal playing field. But these high net worth Latino players have proved that it is possible for people of different ethnicities to make it big.
1. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi, the Argentine soccer superstar, has a net worth of $400 million. Messi is considered to be one of the greatest football players of all times.
He won his first FIFA World Cup Player of the Year award when he was only 22. Messi currently plays for FC Barcelona.
2. Alex Rodriguez
New York Yankee star, Alex Rodriguez has a net worth of $350 million. Rodriguez, who is from the Dominican Republic, is considered to be one of baseball’s most popular players.
He won his first and only World Series championship with the Yankees in 2009. Rodriguez, who completed 22 seasons of MLB, is now retired and dating Jennifer Lopez.
3. Oscar De La Hoya
With a net worth of $200 million, Oscar De La Hoya had a successful boxing career from 1992 to 2008. De La Hoya was given the nickname of the ‘Golden Boy’, because of his good looks and charisma.
De La Hoya, a Mexican native, competed in both professional boxing and Olympic boxing, gaining multiple world titles in 6 weight classes during his career. He now spends his time as a boxing and martial arts promoter.
4. Rafael Nadal
The 2nd ranked active tennis player in the world, Rafael Nadal has a net worth of $180 million. The professional Spanish tennis player has been dubbed as the ‘King of Clay’ after his success in the French Open tournaments.
Nadal has 17 Grand Slam titles and won his very first championship at the age of 24. He has won an impressive amount of competitions and tournaments and is showing no signs of slowing down.
5. Albert Pujols
Another MLB star who has a high net worth is Albert Pujols. Pujols, who is Dominican-American, has a net worth of $170 million and is one of the most decorated players in MLB history. He plays with the Los Angeles Angels and has won two World Series championships.
Pujols, who is first baseman on the Los Angeles Angels, previously played 11 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he won his championships.
These high net worth sports superstars show that it is possible to professionally play the sport you love. No matter who you are, or where you come from, if you have the passion and the talent then you can make it.
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