His on-field earnings accounted for $200 million, with an additional $60 million derived from lucrative sponsorship deals, leveraging his massive Instagram following of 629 million.
Spanish golfer Jon Rahm climbed to second place after his high-profile switch to Saudi-supported LIV Golf in December. Rahm’s guaranteed earnings from the move alone reportedly amounted to at least $300 million, alongside his additional earnings of $218 million, making him one of only two athletes to surpass the $200 million mark, alongside Ronaldo.
Lionel Messi secured the third spot on the list following his move to Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami, earning a total of $135 million. Despite being 36 years old, Messi’s on-field earnings reached $65 million, supplemented by $70 million from various endorsement deals with major brands like Adidas and Apple.
NBA star LeBron James claimed the fourth position with earnings of $128.2 million. Despite nearing the end of his illustrious career, James is gearing up for one final shot at the Olympics.
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks ranked fifth with earnings totaling $111 million, while French soccer sensation Kylian Mbappe dropped to sixth place with $110 million. Mbappe, who announced his departure from Paris St Germain, is expected to join Real Madrid in the upcoming season.
Former PSG star Neymar, now playing for Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, secured the seventh spot with earnings of $108 million, despite missing a significant portion of the season due to injury.
Karim Benzema, another player who made the move to Saudi Arabia, claimed the eighth spot with earnings of $106 million, followed by Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry with $102 million.
Lamar Jackson of the NFL rounded out the top ten with earnings of $100.5 million, primarily due to the signing bonus negotiated into his contract with the Baltimore Ravens last year.
(With Reuters inputs)
