Cristiano Ronaldo is no stranger to making history and the Portuguese star has now earned himself another Guinness World Record.
The 38-year-old moved to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr mid-way through last season and earned a staggering £107.5 million in the 12 months leading up to May 1st, 2023.
His earnings in this time saw him rank first on Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes in 2023 and he has now been honoured by the Guinness World Records for being the top-earning sportsperson on the planet.
It’s the first time since 2017 that Ronaldo has claimed the honour of the highest-earning athlete and the third time in his distinguished career.
The forward also claims the title back from long-term rival Lionel Messi, who had previously clinched the top spot courtesy of his mega-money PSG contract and endorsements, which saw him net around £103 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr contract broken down
Forbes breaks down the figures for each individual athlete into on-field and off-field earnings.
The on-field earnings figures include salaries, prize money and bonuses, while the off-field earnings are estimates of sponsorship deals, appearance fees, memorabilia and licensing income, as well as cash returns from any businesses in which the athlete has a significant interest.
Ronaldo’s record-breaking income is comprised of £35m in on-field earnings and £68.5m in off-field revenue.
After controversially falling out of favour at Manchester United at the end of 2022, Ronaldo signed for Al-Nassr in January 2023, where he doubled his salary to an estimated £57m per year. On top of this, his endorsements with the likes of Armani, TAG Heuer and Herbalife, have meant the Portuguese forward has pocketed a crazy amount in the last year.
Second and third in the list of highest-paid athletes were Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
