Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the top earner of the year according to Forbes magazine’s money list for athletes.
According to the ranking, the 38-year-old Portuguese received 136 million US dollars (123.2 million euros) in the past twelve months thanks to his controversial move to Saudi Arabia, which is significantly more than in the same period last year.
The attacking star thus replaces long-time rival Lionel Messi, who earned 130 million US dollars (117.76 million euros) the year before. The “Forbes” list is based on research by the magazine’s editors and is based on estimates and is believed to be reliable.
“Forbes” published a top ten of the highest-earning athletes. In total, the top ten in the rankings earned an estimated US$1.11 billion before taxes and agent fees between May 2022 and May this year. That’s an increase of about 12 percent compared to last year, when the top ten received a total of about $990 million. At the same time, the 1.11 billion US dollars represent a record revenue.
According to Forbes estimates, Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia at the end of the year, received a total of around $46 million in salary alone. The veteran earned an additional 90 million US dollars (81.53 million euros) from business off the field.
Number two in the ranking is Messi from Paris Saint-Germain with 130 million US dollars (65 million/65 million) ahead of his teammate Kylian Mbappé with 120 million US dollars (100 million/20 million).
Lakers star James best non-footballer
The first non-soccer player is basketball superstar LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers in fourth place. According to the list, the 38-year-old raked in $119.5 million in the relevant twelve months.
They are followed by Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez ($110 million) and US golf pros Dustin Johnson (107) and Phil Mickelson (106). In ninth place, retired tennis pro Roger Federer is still in the top ten with $95.1 million. He is said to have earned 95 million of this through activities off the pitch – such as a stake in a shoe company.
