New list of the world's highest-paid footballers is revealed by Forbes with Cristiano Ronaldo earning TWICE as much as Lionel Messi - so which three Premier League stars crack the top 10?
- The Al Nassr man took home £218millon ($285m) in the last 12 months
- Incredibly Messi made more in off-the-field ventures thanks to Adidas deal
- LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Cristiano Ronaldo earned £218millon ($285m) in the last 12 months, more than any footballer has ever been paid over the course of a year.
The unprecedented figure was revealed as part of Forbes Magazine's annual report on the world's 10 highest-paid players.
The list lays bare the dramatic surge in sports stars' earnings in the last decade, with frontrunner Ronaldo also coming first in 2014 but scooping up just £55m ($73m).
It also shows the budding dominance of Saudi Arabia, replacing Spanish and English clubs at the top of the tree, with four names on the list representing clubs from the Middle Eastern country.
One of them, Ronaldo, was paid twice as much as second place - his long-time adversary Lionel Messi, and more than sixth to tenth put together.
Cristiano Ronaldo earned £218m in the last year, more than any footballer has ever been paid
Ronaldo's growing portfolio of investments includes Pestana CR7, a hotel chain joint-owned with Pestana Hotel Group
Ronaldo was paid twice as much as second place - his long-time adversary Lionel Messi
The Portuguese icon's eyewatering sum constitutes his healthy £170m ($220m) salary at club side Al Nassr, as well as a whopping £49m ($65m) from commercial deals.
Ronaldo's growing portfolio of investments includes Pestana CR7, a hotel chain joint-owned with Pestana Hotel Group, as well as his overall CR7 brand which sells clothing, fragrance, footwear and eyewear.
In second is Messi with a lowly pay of £103m ($135m) although the former Barcelona man took home the most cash in off-the-field ventures with (£57m) $75m.
Saudi-based players complete the top four with Neymar earning £84m ($110m) and Frenchman Karim Benzema pocketing a handy £79m ($104m), including the second highest on-the-field salary of £76m ($100m).
Ronaldo's teammate Sadio Mané also features in the list after he made the switch from Bayern Munich to Al Nassr in August 2023.
Interestingly, only three Premier League stars feature in this year's top ten, with the highest-paid among them being Erling Haaland on $60m (£45m) - a figure that could increase if the Norwegian signs a lucrative new deal.
Mohamed Salah and Kevin de Bruyne also feature on the list of those with the most lucrative earnings.
A big change over the course of the last decade has been the decreased representation of La Liga players among the highest-paid footballers. Now only the Real Madrid pair of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr feature at the top of the charts.
Saudi-based players complete the top four with Neymar earning £84m ($110m)
Karim Benzema pocketied a handy £79m ($104m), including the second highest on-the-field salary of £76m ($100m)
Interestingly, only three Premier League stars feature in this year's top ten, with the highest-paid among them being Erling Haaland on $60m (£45m)
Ronaldo's pay is only inferior to boxer Floyd Mayweather's earnings while he was active
Ten years ago, Messi was part of a healthy Spanish-league contingent on the list and topped it in 2019. His incredible off-the-field earnings are fuelled by productive partnerships including with Adidas and Apple TV.
In the sport as a whole, though, the only way is up and Ronaldo's pay is believed to be the highest on record, breaking the previous barrier he set, and is only inferior to boxer Floyd Mayweather's earnings while he was active.
There is little the American has not dipped his toe into and the fighter has recently ventured into the real estate, spirits and even vaping businesses.
