According to Forbes, Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia made him the world’s highest-paid athlete, with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain making out the top three.
After his contract at Manchester United was terminated by mutual consent due to his criticism of club officials and manager Erik ten Hag, Portuguese striker Ronaldo signed a lucrative two-and-a-half year deal with Saudi powerhouse Al Hilal late last year.
According to Forbes, the 38-year-old earned $136 million, with his annual playing wage reaching an estimated $75 million.
Ronaldo agreed to a contract extension with Al Nassr until 2025, with a reported annual salary of $200 million.
PSG forward Messi, 35, came in second with a combined $130 million, while club teammate and France captain Mbappe, the youngest on the list at 24, came in third with $120 million.
LeBron James ($119.5 million) of the Los Angeles Lakers and Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez ($110 million) rounded out the top five.
LIV Golf, a breakaway series that has enticed several of the PGA series’s top players with large sums of money, debuted last year, and two of its golfers made the top 10.
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The other two basketball players on the list are four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry ($100.4 million) and Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant ($89.1 million).The lone retired player in the top ten is 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer ($95.1 million).
According to Forbes, on-field earnings comprise all prize money, salary, and bonuses received in the previous year, and off-field earnings include an estimate of sponsorship deals, appearance fees, licensing income, and financial returns from businesses they operate.
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