Prompt: huge salaries to sports stars? Some people believe that the salaries paid to professional sportspeople are too high, while others argue that sports salaries are fair. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

People have different views about the amount of money paid to top sportspeople. While there are some good arguments in favor of the idea that these athletes are overpaid, in my opinion they receive fair salaries. Ċ The main reason why many people might disapprove of high salaries of sportspeople is that they do not make much contribution to society despite their huge income. Many skilled athletes earn much more than workers in other professions, like teachers and doctors, even though their roles are not as vital as these workers. Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, for example, took in $127 million from his salary, earnings and endorsements. By contrast, high school teachers in the United States made a median salary of $60,320 in 2018; the best-paid 25 percent made $77,720 that year. Most people believe that we should therefore value professionals such as nurses and teachers more highly. Ċ However, I believe that the best sportspeople deserve to earn a lot of money. Firstly, being a top sports player requires years of practice and hard-work, and in this regard athletes could set good examples for young people. Secondly, a sports star usually has millions of fans who are willing to pay to see him or her play. Finally, sport is a multi-million-dollar industry; there are many firms that want to use popular sportspeople for advertising purposes, by making considerable investment into advertising their products. In Lionel Messi's case, $37 million of his income came from endorsements. Ċ In conclusion, although there are good arguments against paying huge salaries to sports stars, I would argue that they deserve the money they earn.