Ronaldo reigns: Footballer tops Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes again

WEB DESK: Portuguese football icon Cristiano Ronaldo once again topped Forbes’ annual list of the world’s highest-paid athletes. His move to the Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr propelled him to this position, with Forbes estimating his total earnings at $260 million.

Ronaldo’s earnings from playing football amounted to $200 million, while his off-field income, largely from sponsorship deals leveraging his massive social media following of 629 million on Instagram, contributed an additional $60 million.

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Joining Ronaldo at the top of Forbes’ list is Spanish golfer Jon Rahm, who transitioned to Saudi-backed LIV Golf. Reports suggest Rahm could receive at least $300 million, with his total earnings currently standing at $218 million.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi secured the third spot on Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes with earnings of $135 million. The football had recently moved to Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami. Basketball player LeBron James, nearing the end of his NBA career, occupies fourth place with $128.2 million.

NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo trails James with earnings of $111 million, while French footballer Kylian Mbappe ranks sixth with $110 million.

Neymar, who moved to the Saudi Pro League, and Karim Benzema, also headed to Saudi Arabia, claimed seventh and eighth place, respectively, with earnings of $108 million and $106 million.

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Basketball player Steph Curry rounds out the top ten with earnings of $102 million, followed by NFL quarterback Lamar Jackson with $100.5 million.