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Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo's infamous quote, "I don't follow records, but records follow me," has proved to be true time and again as the 38-year-old legendary footballer recently smashed another Guinness World Record. Ronaldo topped the Forbes list of the world’s highest-paid athletes in 2023 for the first time since 2017 and for the third time overall.
Ronaldo beat the likes of his fellow football stars Lionel Messi, who will be unveiled as the Inter Miami player on Sunday, and Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe. This achievement led Cristiano's Guinness World Records count to record 17 titles, which is the highest among footballers in the world. The FIFA world cup-winning Argentine was the highest-paid athlete of 2022 with an estimated earning of $130 million.
The top three in the list of highest-paid athletes in the last 12 months leading up to May 1, 2023, consist of three footballers Ronaldo, Messi, and Mbappe. The Al-Nassr captain is estimated to have earned $136 million during the last season as his record-breaking income includes a big share of his off-field earnings. Ronaldo earned $46 million through his Saudi club and $90 million in off-field earnings.
Following his bombshell interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan last year, Manchester United parted ways with Ronaldo, which led to his transfer to the Saudi Pro League in January 2023. After joining Al-Nassr, Cristiano received a bumper contract that nearly doubled his salary to an estimated $75 million.
On the other hand, the 2022's highest-earning athlete, Messi stood second with $130 million which comprises $65 million in on-field earnings and $65 million in off-field earnings. The Argentine is followed by his former PSG teammate, Kylian Mbappe who earned heavily from his on-field earnings of $100 million while his total earning is estimated to be $120 million.
LeBron James is the top-earning basketball player on the list and also the only NBA star in the top five highest-paid athletes in the world. The four-time NBA champion is in fourth place with $119 million ($44.5 M on-court earnings; $75 M off-court) followed by the four-weight world boxing champion, Canelo Alvarez, who is fourth on the list with $110 million.
