Cristiano Ronaldo’s new career in Saudi Arabia may not be going to plan.
But he has at least one reason to smile.
That’s after being crowned the world’s highest-paid athlete in the last year.
Forbes has declared Ronaldo top dog when it came to making bank in 2022, The Sun reports.
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The magazine combined on-field “prize money, salaries and bonuses”, plus estimated off-field “sponsorship deals, appearances fees and memorabilia.”
And veteran forward Ronaldo came out on top against a host of world-class names.
The Portugal legend saw his Manchester United return end in tears with an explosive Piers Morgan interview. He then crashed out of the World Cup.
He ended up having to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr after there were no takers in Europe. However, Ronaldo’s bank account has been left fit to burst in the process.
He took home $A204 million over the past year to top Forbes’ list for the third time in his career.
It’s the first time Ronaldo has been No. 1 since 2017, and it’s also the biggest amount for a footballer in history.
The mind-boggling fee has also seen Ronaldo overtake rival Lionel Messi, who is second with $195m.
The Paris Saint-Germain star is out of contract this summer and linked with a return to Barcelona. But a Middle East move could also be on the cards, and that may see Messi gets his revenge in 2024.
Third place on Forbes’ list also goes to a footballer.
Messi’s PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe earned $180m in the past year, having landed a stunning new deal last summer.
He is just ahead of basketball legend LeBron James ($178m), who is hoping to land another NBA title as his LA Lakers prepare to take on the Golden State Warriors.
Boxer Canelo Alvarez completes the top five with a tasty $165m.
Interestingly, the next two spots go to golfers Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, with $161m and $159m apiece.
Golden State’s Stephen Curry is eighth with $152m, with tennis legend Roger Federer next with $142m and Phoenix Suns ace Kevin Durant finishing the top 10 with $135m.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.
