Volleyball has come a long way in its development as a sport over the years. It has evolved from a fun-loving sport that may be seen on beach vacations to a competitive arena of world sporting tournaments.

Volleyball Nations League, Volleyball Challenger Cup, and national championships (all events which can be found in the sportsbooks of the world’s best casinos at TopCasinoExpert.com) are among the annual volleyball events that take place today. Professional volleyball players have benefited from such high-profile events not just in terms of showing their mettle, but also in terms of fame, accolades, and money. Their lucrative sponsorship and top-brand endorsement deals add to their on-and-off-the-court success.

Let’s take a look at the top 5 highest paid male volleyball players in the world and discover how they have grown their income.

#1 Wilfredo León ($1,400,000)

Wilfredo León, a Cuban-Polish professional, is the world’s richest volleyball player. According to experts, he is the most accomplished player to have ever graced the game. He has won every single professional title already by the age of 24. Now a 27-year-old has been dubbed the Cristiano Ronaldo of volleyball because of his blistering skills.

León is the highest-paid volleyball player in the world, according to reports. His astronomical annual pay of $ 1 million earned while playing for Russia's Zenit Kazan is proof of this. He earns the same, if not more, in Italy’s Sir Safety Conad Perugia now. León relocated his base from Cuba to Poland, where he purchased a nice condominium for his family, in 2015. Sponsorships and lucrative collaborations with prominent brands like Galeco are some of his other sources of income.

#2 Earvin Ngapeth ($1,350,000)

Earvin Ngapeth, a French player, is ranked second among the world’s top 5 highest-paid volleyball players. In the 2008-09 season, he made his debut with Tours VB. He was there for three seasons and won the Pro A League. Later, he was a member of Cuneo Piemonte (Italy), Kuzbass Kemerovo (Russia), and Leo Shoes Modena (Italy). Ngapeth currently plays for the latter, although his previous two-year contract with Russia’s Zenit Kazan was what got him on the list.

In 2015, he played a key role in guiding the French National Team to the European Championship triumph. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the FIVB World League for the second time in 2017. Ngapeth has also been the center of controversy, having served a brief prison sentence for starting a fight in a nightclub. He even assaulted the train conductor the next year. His attractiveness and popularity among his followers, on the other hand, have not waned. Ngapeth's enormous wealth is the result of large paycheques from teams and partnerships with prominent brands such as Adidas.

#3 Bartosz Kurek ($1,100,000)

Bartosz Kurek is a professional volleyball player from Poland. He did not, however, choose this sport as his first choice. Instead, he began his career playing basketball and only later turned to volleyball. In the 2004-05 season, Kurek began his career with Stal Nysa, where he had his father as a teammate. In the year 2008, Kurek became famous after joining PGE Skra Bełchatów, the team in the PlusLiga. His stint with this club was productive, as the club won three consecutive Polish championships.

Kurek also has gold medals from the 2009 European Championship and the 2012 FIVB World League to his name. He was adjourned as the best spiker for his outstanding performance in the CEV Champions League. In 2009, the Polish government awarded Kurek the Knight’s Cross of Polonia Restituta for his contributions to the game and national honors. In 2018, he was voted MVP of the Poland National Team’s victory at the World Championship.

His obscene riches are the product of national and international club salaries. Kurek has also served as the modal face for products including Zott Monte and Land Rover.

#4 Robertlandy Simón ($967,000)

Robertlandy Simón is a Cuban professional volleyball player, who represented the national volleyball team from 2005 to 2010. After a brief stint with overseas clubs like Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza (Italy), Al Rayyan, El Jaish (both Qatar), and Sada Cruzeiro (Brazil), he signed a lucrative contract with Cucine Lube Civitanova in Italy in 2018. Simón even played in the South Korean league from 2014 to 2016 to pursue his aspirations and earn a living. He is regarded as one of the top blockers in the game’s history. For Simón, who won the individual award at the 2009 World Grand Champions Cup, fame and awards go hand in hand.

He captained the Cuba National Team for five years as a result of his popularity and leadership abilities. On the court, he plays middle blocker and wears the number 10 jersey. His net worth is derived from the large sums of money he received from the teams and clubs he represented.

#5 Dmitriy Muserskiy ($950,000)

Dmitriy Muserskiy is a Russian volleyball player who was born in Ukraine. Boris Osnach, his coach, taught him how to play volleyball when he was eight years old. He is a middle blocker for his clubs and wears the number 13 jersey. In 2011, Muserskiy won the FIVB World League and the FIVB World Cup while playing for Russia. He is currently a member of his country’s national team as well as of the Suntory Sunbirds of Japan. In 2006, Muserskiy was granted Russian citizenship.

Three Best Blocker and two Most Valuable Player trophies in Europe are among his significant accomplishments. In 2011 and 2013, he also assisted Russia in winning two World League titles. Toyota Motor Russia is proud to support his career. Aside from his magnificent skills, Muserskiy is well-known among fans for his height of 7ft 2 inches. He is a social media sensation who frequently posts images of his shopping sprees in Japan. As a result of all of this, he is now the world’s fifth-richest volleyball player.