Cristiano Ronaldo has reclaimed the title of highest-paid athlete in the world after agreeing to a hefty contract with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr.
According to Forbes' annual list, the Portuguese superstar who departed Manchester United last year earned $136m in the previous 12 months.
With earnings of $130 million, World Cup champion and Paris Saint-Germain player Lionel Messi placed second. The third-place finisher was the French footballer Kylian Mbappe, who earned $120 million.
It is said that Ronaldo's contract with Al Nassr is worth more than 200 million euros annually. The footballer was previously the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2017, but Messi and Floyd Mayweather surpassed him.
Both on-field earnings, such as salary, bonuses, and prize money, as well as off-field earnings, such as endorsement contracts, appearance fees, and revenue from memorabilia and licencing, are taken into account when determining Forbes' rankings.
2023 Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes In The World
- Cristiano Ronaldo, football: $136m (£108.7m)
- Lionel Messi, football: $130m (£103.9m)
- Kylian Mbappe, football: $120m (£95.9m)
- LeBron James, basketball: $119.5m (£95.5m)
- Canelo Alvarez, boxing: $110m (£87.9m)
- Dustin Johnson, golf: $107m (£85.5m)
- Phil Mickelson, golf: $106m (£84.7m)
- Stephen Curry, basketball: $100.4m (£80.2m)
- Roger Federer, tennis: $95.1m (£76m)
- Kevin Durant, basketball: $89.1m (£71.2m)