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