Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo has been listed as Forbes’ highest-paid athlete with £109 million (£136m) in 2022, one place ahead of Lionel Messi.
Despite a significant drop off in quality from his Champions League days, Ronaldo certainly hasn’t suffered in compensation. Forbes have revealed that the 38-year-old earned £109m last year in “prize money, salaries and bonuses”, as well as off-field “sponsorship deals, appearances fees and memorabilia”. This places him just ahead of Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi on £104m ($130m), while Kylian Mbappe makes up a hat-trick of footballers in the top three, with his earnings worth £96m ($120m).
The exorbitant figures posted for Ronaldo are the largest amount for a footballer in history, and puts the Portugal star back on the top spot for the first time since 2017. Curiously, the Al-Nassr captain could soon be joined by Messi in Saudi Arabia. Current employers PSG won’t be renewing him beyond this summer, and a recent trip to the Gulf state has fuelled rumours of a reunion between the long-standing rivals – with Al-Hilal having already submitted a mega-money bid.
