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. It is said that Ronaldo’s contract with Al Nassr is worth more than 200 million euros annually.
The footballer was previously the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2017, but Messi and Floyd Mayweather surpassed him.
Both on-field earnings, such as salary, bonuses, and prize money, as well as off-field earnings, such as endorsement contracts, appearance fees, and revenue from memorabilia and licensing, are taken into account when determining Forbes’ rankings.
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)
