Forbes magazine has reported that Cristiano Ronaldo is now the highest-paid athlete in the world, a position he last held in 2017, following his transfer to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, which almost doubled his annual playing salary. 

Ronaldo earned a total of $136m, with his playing salary estimated at around $75m. 

His contract has been valued at more than $220m. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, both of Paris Saint-Germain, took second and third place, respectively, on the list. 

LeBron James and Canelo Alvarez rounded out the top five, while LIV Golf, a new breakaway tour, saw two of its players, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, in the top 10. Forbes said its earnings figures include all on-field earnings such as prize money, salaries, and bonuses, and off-field earnings such as sponsorship deals, appearance fees, 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)

Source: Graphiconline