The world's highest paying sporting events

Big-time sporting events attract the players, the crowd and the all-important sponsors. Why the attraction? Not only because of the media mileage and coverage, it is the huge prize money that these tournaments make.

Forbes’ Magazine, in their maiden line-up of sporting events with the biggest money listed 15 tournaments. Of the 15, the top three belongs to football. Figures given are based on concluded tournaments as of July of this year.

The list was based on prize money given to winners either on a single event or tournament, either individual or team. From least to highest, here’s Forbes’ list of the world’s highest paying sporting events.

15) The Football Association Challenge Cup - more popularly known as the FA Cup, this is the world’s oldest local club football tournament based in England. Manchester City won it earlier this year after 35 years without a significant title, and they still continue to make waves. Total prize money is $2.6 million.

14) Indy 500 – despite the real danger to life and limb and the recent death on the tracks, the most popular and prestigious automotive race in the US gives out $2.6 million in prize money.

13) The Breeder’s Cup Classic – the Kentucky Derby is more popular but the Breeder’s Cup, run by horses at least three years old, pays out more than any other horse racing event in the US at $2.7 million.

12) The Japan Cup – obviously held in Japan, this horse race frequently change ranking with the Breeder’s Cup Classic, depending on the yen’s strength.   Prize money at $3.13 million.

11) ICC Cricket World Cup – as soon as I can comprehend the nuances of this game, I will enrol in Bio-Physics. The game paid out $4 million to last year’s champion, India.

10) NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup – 12 drivers, with the highest regular season points aggregates, will do a 10-race NASCAR finale. The winner goes home $5.8 million richer.

9 ) Dubai World Cup Night – if you are the ruler of Dubai, at the same time the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, and is worth just $12 billion dollars, giving out a $6 million pot for a horse race is mere drop in the bucket.

8 ) The World Series – baseball also pays well. The Texas Rangers are back in the WS, this time against the Saint Louis Cardinals, and they just lost their first game yesterday. Last year, the Rangers lost to the San Francisco Giants, missing the $7.9 million prize money. They should win this time.

7 ) The Super Bowl – American football as we know it. The Vince Lombardi trophy and the $8.5 million prize money went to the Green Bay packers last year, winning over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

6 ) World Series of Poker – last year, a 23-year old Canadian college dropout won the tournament’s main event, the $10,000 Buy-In, No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, hitting the $8.9 million jackpot. Why go to college, by the way.

5 ) UEFA Europa League – formerly known as the UEFA Cup, this tournament is second to the Champion’s League as Europe’s most prestigious tournament. This year’s cup was won by Portugal’s Porto to the tune of $9 million.

4 ) FedEx Cup – golf’s PGA Tour has four tournaments composed of the sport’s top 125 golfers until 30 remain. They then compete in the Tour Championship in Atlanta.  The golfer accumulating the most points wins the FedEx Cup. Last year, Jim Furyk won the Cup and $10 million.

The next three belongs to – Ole! Ole! Ole! - football.

3 ) FIFA World Cup – the beautiful game with a beautiful prize money. In 2010, Spain was $31 million more beautiful after winning the World Cup.

2 ) UEFA European Football Championship - this tournament comes every four years and the quality of the games, although it only features European teams, is World Cup comparable. Prize-wise, its a little better at $33 million. Spain won it in 2008. Poland and the Ukraine will co-host this tournament next year.

1 ) UEFA Champions League – Spain’s Barcelona, behind the pint-sized Lionel Messi, overwhelmed England’s Manchester United earlier this year for the title. The world’s most prestigious club tournament gave $42 million to Barcelona.