Cristiano Ronaldo, with an income of 260 million USD, surpassed his rival Lionel Messi to lead the list of athletes with the highest income of the year announced by Forbes.

According to Forbes, Ronaldo became the highest-paid athlete in the world after joining Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr. In the past 12 months, the Portuguese striker has earned a record amount of 260 million USD, including 200 million USD in fixed salary and 60 million USD from advertising contracts for many brands on Instagram with more than 600 million USD. followers. Ronaldo currently has a contract with Al Nassr until 2025 and affirms that he wants to continue playing at the top level.

Messi, ranked third on the list, earned $135 million after moving to Inter Miami Club in the American Professional League (MLS). This figure includes $65 million in salary and $70 million from sponsorship contracts with Adidas and Apple.

Interspersed between the two soccer stars is Jon Rahm, a Spanish golfer who has switched to competing in the tournament system owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia. Rahm is said to have received an offer worth between 300 and 500 million euros (nearly 550 million USD) for a four-year contract. Forbes estimates Rahm earned $218 million in the past 12 months, along with Ronaldo as the only two athletes to surpass the $200 million mark.

The remaining two positions in the top 5 belong to two NBA stars: LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers (128.2 million USD) and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks (111 million USD).

France captain Kylian Mbappe dropped to sixth place with $110 million. Former teammate Neymar, a Brazilian, is next with 108 million USD after joining Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. The top 10 also includes striker Karim Benzema (106 million USD), NBA star Steph Curry and NFL player Lamar Jackson (100.5 million USD).

In total, the world’s 50 highest-paid athletes earned $3.88 billion in the past 12 months, up 13% from last year’s record of $3.44 billion. About 76% ($2.94 billion) comes from fixed salaries and the remaining 24% ($936 million) from advertising, event participation, and sales – down 13% from last year’s $1.08 billion. .

NBA leads with 19 athletes on the list, followed by NFL (11 athletes) and football (8 athletes). The appearance of 22 athletes under 30 years old, including Rahm, shows a generational transition in the sports industry. Big names like Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Tom Brady have retired, while Ronaldo, LeBron James, Tiger Woods and three other athletes over the age of 39 are also entering the final stages of their careers.#CR7