Following his summer move to Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo has topped Forbes’ wealthy list. Despite the financial impact of Covid-19 on teams throughout the world, elite players’ wages have grown. Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain has slipped to second place on the yearly rankings.
Cristiano Ronaldo has reclaimed his position as football’s best earner, surpassing Lionel Messi on the Forbes wealthy list.
This year, the Portuguese striker is expected to earn a total of $125 million, with $70 million coming from his new club Manchester United and $55 million coming from commercial sponsorships.
Only Roger Federer, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods, according to the study, make more money from commercial interests than the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
According to Forbes report, only three athletes receive more money from commercial interests than the five-time Ballon d’Or winner: Roger Federer, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods.
Messi fell to second place in the rankings with $110 million in total earnings, $75 million of which came from his PSG deal.
Neymar ($95 million) and Kylian Mbappe ($43 million), Messi’s teammates, are third and fourth, respectively. Mohamed Salah ($41 million) of Liverpool is ranked sixth.
Andres Iniesta, a former Barcelona midfielder who currently plays for Vissel Kobe in the J-League in Japan, is the only player from outside Europe to make the list, coming in seventh position on $35 million, even with Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski.
Paul Pogba ($34 million) of Manchester United and Gareth Bale ($32 million) and Eden Hazard ($29 million) of Real Madrid complete out the top 10.
According to Forbes, the top ten highest-paid football players are anticipated to make $585 million in pre-tax earnings this season, up from $570 million last year.
