It’s no news that famous athletes are often paid staggering remunerations, depending on the sports and the league they’re in. Every year, Forbes publishes a list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, after crunching numbers to find out their yearly earnings. And the magazine has named none other than Cristiano Ronaldo at the top spot of the list for this year.
The List
Professional athletes, particularly soccer players, are often known for their hefty pay packets. So, it’s no surprise that several soccer players can be found on the Forbes list every year. In 2023, the top 10 from the list include golfers, basketball players, and also one veteran tennis star. But, it’s the soccer world which rules the list with the top three highest-paid players.
The Topper
Famed athlete Cristiano Ronaldo holds the number one position on the Forbes list this year. Ronaldo recently joined Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr in early 2023, after bidding goodbye to England’s Manchester United last November. According to the information given by Forbes, the 38-year-old Portuguese football star is currently raking in $90 million off-field and $46 million on-field, totaling a staggering $136 million a year.
The Other Top Stars
Cristiano Ronaldo is closely followed by Lionel Messi, the Argentinian athlete, who helped his country lift the 2022 Fifa World Cup last December. According to Forbes, Messi earns $65 million for his on-field actions and the same amount from his lucrative endorsements like PepsiCo, Adidas, etc. These bring his total yearly earning to a whopping $130 million. On the third spot, debuting on the top 10 list, is young French football star Kylian Mbappe, with a yearly earnings of $120 million. Crucially, he earns the majority, $100 million, from the pitch. Forbes also noted that Mbappe made a great leap on the list from being number 35 last year. He is also currently the only under-30 member in the list.