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Uzone.id – The risk of injury continues to haunt an athlete every day. So, it is not surprising to see world-class athletes willing to pay millions of dollars to protect their limbs.
Body parts insurance may still sound strange, but for world sports, it has often been carried out, especially for world-class athletes. Increasing income and popularity as well as the development of medical facilities make athletes not hesitate to pay premiums.
So, it is not surprising that some of them are on the list of the most expensive insurance athletes in the world in 2024. Who are they? Here is the list.
Lionel Messi
The extraordinary ability of Lionel Messi has made him one of the most famous names in the world of football. The Argentina athlete insured his leg for 750 million Euros, equivalent to around Rp 12.8 trillion. The fantastic price makes Lionel Messi the footballer with the most expensive insurance value to date.
Cristiano Ronaldo
It’s no surprise to see Christiano Ronaldo on the list of the most expensive insurance athletes in the world in 2024. With these extraordinary skills, the chances of getting injured are always higher. So, in 2009, Real Madrid purchased an insurance policy for his legs for about $144 million.
Venus Williams
Venus Williams is an American tennis player. She turned professional in 1994 and became the first unseeded U.S. Open women’s finalist in the Open era in 1997. Throughout her career, Venus has suffered injuries to her right and left wrists.
For that, she took out a $15 million policy to protect herself from future risks. As of May 2024, Venus is still on tour and does not plan to retire full-time from tennis.
So, the names above are the names of athletes who are still actively playing for their respective clubs. But, throughout history, some athletes—who are now retired—have also insured specific parts of their body with fantastic value. Who are they?
David Beckham
In the early 2000s, David Beckham hit the news when he insured his legs for $70 million. Then, when he moved to Real Madrid, he took out the largest personal insurance policy worth £100 million.
Fernando Alonso
From Spain, Fernando Alonso is a racing driver who is currently competing in Formula One for Aston Martin. He is F1’s youngest polesitter, race winner, world champion and double world champion. Back in 2010, Fernando Alonso reportedly insured his thumbs for £9M or nearly $14 million to U.S. police from Ferrari F1 sponsor Santander.
Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire is an American professional baseball player who is referred to as one of the most powerful hitters in the history of the game. In 1998, in his match against Sammy Sosa, he suffered an ankle injury.
However, despite having insured himself with the St. Louis Cardinals insurance company, they refused to insure the body part. Then, Mark McGwire had his ankle insured for $12 million with Lloyd’s of London.
Manuel Neuer
In August 2024, Manuel Neuer announced his retirement from international football after Germany’s exit from Euro 2023. He said that while he was still physically fit, he felt it was time to focus on FC Bayern Munich
In 2014, as Germany’s best player of the year, he took it upon himself to insure this pair of hands for a whopping €3 million, according to the General Association of German Insurers.
Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu may be the only athlete with a million-dollar hair. He has been insured for $1 million by Head & Shoulders. ESPN says the insurance was obtained through Lloyd’s of London, which did not reveal what must be done to Polamalu’s hair for anyone to collect on the policy. (Aisyah)
