Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes in 2023, with his earnings nearly doubling after his move to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
The football superstar earned $136 million, thanks to an estimated annual playing salary of $75 million. This makes him the world’s highest-paid athlete, according to Forbes’ rankings.
Lionel Messi is second on the list with a combined earnings of $130 million. France captain and Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe rounded out the top three with $120 million in earnings.
Cristiano #Ronaldo has become the highest-paid athlete in the world, with a move to @AlNassrFC_EN, nearly doubling his salary, according to @Forbes.#CR7 has an estimated $75 M – playing salary and has cashed in on a number of marketing opportunities.#Messi is at 2nd.
via CNN pic.twitter.com/8tURJsprau
— Sheraz Khan Rajput 🦉 🛡️ (@SherazKRajput) May 3, 2023
Other athletes on the list include Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez at fourth and fifth places. The advent of LIV Golf also saw two of its golfers make the top 10. Former world No.1 Dustin Johnson made the biggest gain. He came in sixth place with $107 million, after switching to LIV Golf. He was joined by fellow LIV golfer Phil Mickelson in seventh place with $106 million.
Allan Saint-Maximin on Cristiano Ronaldo:
“All the wingers want to be like him [Cristiano] because he was the best.”
— The CR7 Timeline. (@TimelineCR7) May 5, 2023
Other basketball players on the list include four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns. Former tennis ace Roger Federer also made it to the top 10 with earnings of $95.1 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Saudi soccer club Al-Nassr on a deal until 2025, earned $136 million, making him Forbes’ highest-paid athlete https://t.co/m2Vz3FZaJX pic.twitter.com/00qMmj68Tj
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 3, 2023
Forbes’ earnings figures include all prize money, salaries, and bonuses earned in the last 12 months. Besides, they include an estimate of sponsorship deals, appearance fees, licensing income, and cash returns from businesses they operate. Cristiano Ronaldo’s earnings nearly doubled after his move to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, making him the world’s highest-paid athlete in 2023.
PSG forward Lionel Messi was second on the Forbes list of the highest-paid athletes after Cristiano Ronaldo, with the World Cup winner earning $130 million https://t.co/m2Vz3FZIzv pic.twitter.com/0F382pTFO5
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 3, 2023
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