CRISTIANO
RONALDO has topped Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes for the
fourth time in his career, with golfer Jon Rahm rising to second place.
Ronaldo
also topped the list last year after moving to Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr football
club.
Business
magazine Forbes says the 39-year-old Portuguese striker earned $260m (£205m) -
up from $136m (£108.7m) - in the past 12 months.
Ronaldo's
arch-rival Lionel Messi has fallen to third place behind Rahm
The
Spanish golfer has risen to second place ahead of his trip to the
Saudi-sponsored LIV Golf and is reported to have earned $218m (£172m).
The
Spanish golfer is one of 22 athletes under the age of 30 on the list, which
could signal a turnaround.
Players
who stayed on the list such as Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Tom Brady
have already retired, while Ronaldo, LeBron James, Tiger Woods and three other
athletes aged 39 or older, are also expected to take that step soon.
Footballers
Neymar and Karim Benzema have also entered the top 10 after moving to the Saudi
Pro League.
Giannis
Antetokounmpo (ranked fifth) joins fellow basketball stars LeBron James
(fourth) and Stephen Curry (ninth) on the list, while American football
quarterback Lamar Jackson ranks 10th.
According
to Forbes, the world's 10 highest-paid athletes collectively earned $1.38bn
(£1.06bn) before tax and agency fees in the past 12 months, the highest total
ever.
In
the 14th place, Canelo Alvarez, a boxer who grew up in a rural poverty and
started fighting for $40, is estimated by Forbes Magazine to be worth at least
$275 million.
In
the 16th place is the world's heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua from England who
is said to be worth $83m.
Joshua
won his first 22 professional fights and was world champion from 2016 to 2019,
until he lost to Andy Ruiz Jr.
Manchester
City striker Erling Halaand who is ranked 27th is worth $61m.
One
of the fastest rising stars in football, Haaland commanded a transfer fee of
$63 million in his move from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City in 2022.
The
highest paid African soccer player is Mohammed Salah from Egypt worth $53m.
Salah holds the 38th position.
Behind
him is Sadio Mane, the Senegalese striker worth $52m in 40th place.
Mané
is the captain and all-time leading scorer of the Senegalese national football
team. He followed Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr after
spending the 2022-23 season with German club Bayern Munich.
Below
is a list of the 10 highest paid players in the world
1.
Cristiano Ronaldo, football: $260m (£205m)
2.
Jon Rahm, Golf: $218m (£172m)
3.
Lionel Messi, Soccer: $135m (£107m)
4.
LeBron James, Basketball: $128.2m (£101m)
5.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Basketball: $111m (£88m)
6.
Kylian Mbappe, Soccer $110m (£87m)
7.
Neymar, Soccer: $108m (£85m)
8.
Karim Benzema, Soccer: $106m (£84m)
9.
Stephen Curry, Basketball $102m (£80m)
10.
Lamar Jackson, American Football: $100.5m (£79m)