Ronaldo the world's highest paid sportsman with Messi coming close

On Thursday, the list of the sportsmen and women who earned the most money during the past year 2023 was released. According to 'Sportico', Cristiano Ronaldo has managed to position himself as the highest paid athlete on the planet.
The same media outlet reports that the Portuguese striker earned 260 million dollars. A figure that not only corresponds to his salary at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, although this contract is responsible for his jump in the rankings. Sponsorship contracts must also be added, as the Portuguese is one of the most sought-after faces in the world of advertising.
What is remarkable is that despite all that the NFL and the NBA move in the United States, four members of the top 10 are footballers. And Cristiano Ronaldo is not alone on the podium, as he is joined in third position by Lionel Messi with 130 million dollars generated in 2023. The Argentinian takes a step back in the rankings from the previous year as he was second, but with his impact at Inter Miami he has improved from the previous 122. The Portuguese was third with 115 still at Manchester United.
The influence of Arabia is also felt in the second on the list: the Spanish golfer Jon Rahm. The Biscayan left the PGA Tour halfway through the year to join LIV Golf, the incipient Saudi circuit that he once disowned... until the astronomical figures arrived. Last year, the Augusta Masters champion earned $203 million and is assured of $550 million until 2029 in his new contract.
Another who has benefited handsomely is Neymar. The striker signed for Al-Hilal with a contract that at the end of last year put him in sixth position in the ranking with 121 million dollars. Very close to Kylian Mbappe, who generated 125 'kilos' between PSG, Nike and other contracts and is 5th behind basketball player LeBron James (125.7), who falls off the podium after being the highest paid in 2022 (126.9 million then).
These top positions are completed by three other NBA references such as Stephen Curry (98.9 million dollars), Giannis Antetokounmpo (88.4) and Kevin Durant (86.9), and the 10th place goes to Patrick Mahomes. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback earned a total of 84.3. The boxer Canelo Alvarez, the tennis player Roger Federer and the basketball player James Harden fell from the top of the list compared to the previous year.
One of the issues that has been criticised in the complete list is that this time no female athlete has entered the top 100. 'Sportico' points out that the 19-year-old tennis player Cori Gauff has been the highest paid by generating some 22.7 million dollars, but according to the media, this would not have allowed her to enter even in the top 200.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (260) 2. John Rahm (203) 3. Leo Messi (130) 4. LeBron James (125,7) 5. Kylian Mbappe (125) 6. Neymar (121) 7. Stephen Curry (98,9) 8. Giannis Antetokounmpo (98,9) 9. Kevin Durant (86,9) 10. Patrick Mahomes (84,3)