Forbes: These are the most valuable Hungarian athletes in 2020
It is the sixth time that Forbes Hungary revealed its list of the most prominent and valuable Hungarian athletes of the year and the sixth time that Katinka Hosszú took the first place.
Compared to the American Forbes’s list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, this list is not based on how much money they actually make. In Hungary, this information is not public, which would make it rather problematic to compare. The list is based on the athletes’ achievements and their ability to make money, build their own brand, etc.
This year, Forbes worked based on a new method, taking more factors into consideration. They looked not only at achievements but also at how often athletes appeared in any news media and asked advertisers to chip in with their opinion on whom they would make long- or short-term collaborations with.
The top five most valuable Hungarian athletes according to Forbes are:
1. Katinka Hosszú
Katinka cannot be dethroned since 2015. She has been leading the list for six consecutive years. Whatever she tackles, she conquers. She won the 200-metre individual medley for the fourth time at the FINA World Championships last year. She is undefeated in the 200m IM.
2. Kristóf Milák
While last year, a tennis player could hold the second place (Márton Fucsovics), this year’s first runner up is another swimmer, Kristóf Milák. The whole world knows his name after breaking Michael Phelps’s world record in the men’s 200m butterfly at the world championships.
3. Péter Gulácsi
In third place is football player Péter Gulácsi. This is the first time ever that a football player finished among the top three on Forbes’ list. Gulácsi was the most valuable Hungarian football player in 2018.
4. Dominik Szoboszlai
Dominik Szoboszlai is a future soccer star, one of the most sought-after players in Europe. This year, he was listed among the 100 nominees for the Golden Boy Award, and The Guardian listed him among the 60 best young football talents in 2017.
5. Norbert Michelisz
Norbert Michelisz is an auto racing driver, champion of the World Touring Car Cup. Autosport.com named him among the 50 best racers in the world.
Click here to see Forbes’ full list of Hungary’s 25 most valuable athletes.