For the fourth time in his career, Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes’ list of the highest-paid sportsmen. Spanish golfer Jon Rahm rose to the second spot after making the dramatic shift to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
After joining the Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr, Ronaldo became the highest-paid athlete in the world. According to Forbes, the 39-year-old’s estimated total earnings were in the range of USD 260 million, which is a record high for a football player.
Thanks to sponsorship agreements that allow marketers to leverage his 629 million Instagram followers, he earned USD 60 million off the field in addition to USD 200 million on the field.
Rahm, a two-time major winner, made a massive financial move to LIV Golf in December that shocked the sport when it was revealed in the media that the current world number five will receive at least USD 300 million.
Outside of that assurance, Rahm has made USD 218 million, making him and Cristiano Ronaldo the only two sportsmen to make over USD 200 million.
Third on the list is eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, who helped the Argentine World Cup winner earn USD 135 million by moving to Major League Soccer club Inter Miami.
Thanks to agreements with significant sponsors like Adidas and Apple, the 36-year-old has made USD 70 million off the field in addition to USD 65 million on it.
LeBron James, the 39-year-old forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, is fourth with USD 128.2 million. Despite being close to the conclusion of his career, James is the first NBA player to score 40,000 points in his career and will make one final attempt at the Olympics.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ fellow NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo (USD 111 million) completes the top five, with France football captain Kylian Mbappe falling to sixth place (USD 110 million).
After spending seven years in the French capital and rising to the position of all-time leading scorer for the team, Mbappe confirmed his departure from Paris St. Germain. The 25-year-old is anticipated to sign with Real Madrid, one of the biggest teams in Spain, over the offseason.
Neymar, a former top player for PSG who also joined Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, is eighth (USD 108 million) after missing much of the season due to an ACL tear.
Eighth on the list (USD 106 million) is French striker Karim Benzema, who also relocated to Saudi Arabia. Stephen Curry, the guard for the Golden State Warriors, is next (USD 102 million).
Lamar Jackson’s new contract with the Baltimore Ravens from last year included a signing bonus, which allowed him to rank 10th on the list (USD 100.5 million), making him the only NFL player.
