Cristiano Ronaldo, the world’s most-paid athlete, has set a Guinness World Record for the highest yearly earnings for an athlete in 2023, topping Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes.
Ronaldo has won the championship for the third time in his career. The top player is expected to earn $136 million in the 12 months coming up to May 1, 2023.
Ronaldo surpassed Messi, who was the highest-paid athlete in 2022, with an estimated $130 million.
Ronaldo’s staggering earnings include $46 million in on-field profits and $90 million in off-field earnings.
Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in January 2023 after signing a lucrative contract that nearly increased his income to an estimated $75 million).
Forbes computes athletes’ earnings using information acquired from industry insiders, news sources, and compensation databases.
According to the Guinness World Records blog, Messi came in second with $130 million, split evenly between $65 million in on-field earnings and $65 million in off-field earnings.
Mbappé’s on-field earnings of $100 million contribute significantly to his total of $120 million.
