Sportico’s ranking featured four footballers in the top ten, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe.
Cristiano Ronaldo secured the first place in the list of the highest-earning athletes for 2023. (Image via Marca and X)
Fans were left amused after the Portuguese forward claimed the top position in the ranking of the world’s most financially successful athletes. Ronaldo earned an impressive $275 million last year, surpassing other players such as [player name] or [player name].
Football has reaffirmed its status as the wealthiest sport globally, with three out of the top five highest-earning athletes coming from this sport. Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the leading spot, followed by golfer [player name], who earned $203 million last year. Lionel Messi, the winner of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, ranked third, with NBA star [player name], Al-Hilal forward Neymar, and PSG youngster Kylian Mbappe following suit.
Ronaldo also topped the list as the highest-earning footballer, primarily due to his lucrative contract of $210 million per year with Saudi PL club Al-Nassr. In addition to this, the 39-year-old received another substantial sum of $60 million from sponsorship and advertising deals. Rumors suggested that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner received an additional €100 million from Al-Nassr as a special signing-on bonus.
🚨Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-earning athlete in 2023 with $275 million. [Sportico] pic.twitter.com/Vs46Gj0T6P
Ronaldo surpassed his arch-rival Lionel Messi, who became the highest-earning MLS player ever, by earning nearly $33 million per year. Fans engaged in lively discussions about the players’ rankings on the list.
Fans were quick to react to Sportico’s ranking of the world’s highest-earning sports personalities. They were surprised to see Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the list, considering his controversial reputation throughout the year.
Many rival fans argued that money doesn’t matter in football, taking a jab at the 39-year-old Portuguese star. Another rival fan pointed out that Lionel Messi could have claimed the top spot if he had joined the Saudi league. One fan jokingly claimed that the former Real Madrid star had won the Money d’Or instead of the Ballon d’Or.
Here are some of the fans’ reactions:
Money Doesn’t Matter My friend
Messi could have been the top but he didn’t sell himself to Saudi
GOAT
Money dOr lmao
pic.twitter.com/IbwSXfLAj0
Cr7 always on top
this shows that p7 did everything for moneyMessi rejected 1B😎
This is insane, at 39 years old 🐐🐐🐐
CR7 fans had a completely different opinion. Some fans showed their support for the player by stating that he always remains at the pinnacle of every ranking. Another fan described Ronaldo’s earnings as extraordinary, despite his advancing age.
According to the Source firstsportz.com