Ronaldo tops the Forbes list of the highest-paid athletes in 2023 after moving to Saudi Arabia
Forbes magazine said that Cristiano Ronaldo became the highest-paid athlete in the world after moving to the Saudi club Al-Nasr, after his annual salary almost doubled, while the Paris Saint-Germain duo Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe completed the first three. Places.
Ronaldo, who joined the Saudi club until 2025 after his departure from Manchester United last year, collected $136 million, and Forbes said his annual salary had risen to about $75 million.
The media estimated Ronaldo's contract at more than 200 million euros ($219.98 million).
Argentine Messi, 35, Paris Saint-Germain striker, came second on the list with a total of $130 million, while his teammate and captain of the France national team, Mbappe, the youngest athlete on the list at 24 years old, earned $120 million. , ranked third.
Paris Saint-Germain is owned by the Qatari authorities.
Los Angeles Lakers player and NBA star LeBron James ($119.5 million) and Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez ($110 million) round out the top five.
The past year also saw the emergence of the new Saudi-backed Golf Series (LIV), which has attracted some of the best players in the world with huge cash prizes.
Former world number one in golf, Dustin Johnson, ranked sixth with $ 107 million, achieving the largest gains after the dramatic turnaround of the new (LIV) series after (NYSE: GPS) missed the first 50 athletes on the Forbes list in 2022, while his colleague ranked Golfer Phil Mickelson is in seventh place with $106 million.
Four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry ($100.4 million) and Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns ($89.1 million) are the other two NBA players on the list.
And former tennis player Roger Federer ($95.1 million) is the only retired player in the top ten.
Forbes said its estimates of earnings for sports are based on all prize money, salaries and bonuses earned in the past 12 months, while its estimates of off-field earnings are based on sponsorship deals, participation in promotional events and cash proceeds from businesses run by athletes.