After joining Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo became the world’s highest-paid athlete, followed by Paris Saint-Germain’s Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
Forbes estimates that Ronaldo’s yearly playing wage increased to an estimated $75 million when he left Manchester United and joined the Saudi soccer club on a contract that would run until 2025. Ronaldo left Manchester United last year and earned a total of $136 million before making the move.
The value of Ronaldo’s deal has been put in the neighborhood of 219.98 million dollars, according to various reports in the media.
PSG forward Messi, 35, was next on the list after taking home a combined $130 million while club teammate and France captain Mbappe, the youngest player on the list at 24 years old, earned $120 million to sit third.
Qatar Sports Investments is the club’s majority owner.
NBA superstar and Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James ($119.5 million) and Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez ($110 million) filled out the top five on the list of highest-paid athletes.
LIV Golf, a breakaway circuit that has tempted away some of the best players from the United States-based PGA circuit in exchange for enormous amounts of money, began operations only one year ago. Currently, two of LIV Golf’s golfers are ranked among the top 10 players in the world.
In spite of the fact that he did not even make the cut for the top 50 in 2022, former world number one Dustin Johnson, who is now sixth with $107 million, made the most progress after making the contentious transition to LIV Golf. He was joined by fellow LIV golfer Phil Mickelson, who is seventh with $106 million in earnings.
The other two basketball players on the list are four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry ($100.4 million) and Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns ($89.1 million), respectively.
Only Roger Federer, a tennis legend who has since retired and is now worth $95.1 million, is among the top 10 active players.
According to Forbes, its on-field earnings estimates include all prize money, salary, and bonuses received in the previous 12 months. Meanwhile, its off-field earnings figures include an estimate of sponsorship agreements, appearance fees, licensing revenue, and cash returns from companies they manage.