Ronaldo named world’s highest paid athlete
Cristiano Ronaldo has reclaimed the title of highest-paid athlete in the world after agreeing to a hefty contract with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr.
According to Forbes’ annual list, the Portuguese superstar who departed Manchester United last year earned $136m in the previous 12 months.
With earnings of $130 million, World Cup champion and Paris Saint-Germain player Lionel Messi placed second. The third-place finisher was the French footballer Kylian Mbappe, who earned $120 million.
Ronaldo’s contract with Al Nassr is reportedly worth over 200m euros per year. The footballer’s previous stint as the world’s highest paid athlete was in 2017, before he was overtaken by Floyd Mayweather and Messi.
Forbes’ rankings are determined by both on-field earnings, including salaries, prize money, and bonuses, as well as off-field earnings, including sponsorship deals, appearance fees, and memorabilia and licensing income.
World’s top 10 highest paid athletes 2023
1. Cristiano Ronaldo, football: $136m (£108.7m)
2. Lionel Messi, football: $130m (£103.9m)
3. Kylian Mbappe, football: $120m (£95.9m)
4. LeBron James, basketball: $119.5m (£95.5m)
5. Canelo Alvarez, boxing: $110m (£87.9m)
6. Dustin Johnson, golf: $107m (£85.5m)
7. Phil Mickelson, golf: $106m (£84.7m)
8. Stephen Curry, basketball: $100.4m (£80.2m)
9. Roger Federer, tennis: $95.1m (£76m)
10. Kevin Durant, basketball: $89.1m (£71.2m)
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