The highest-paid soccer player in the world wasn’t Lionel Messi, Neymar, or Kylian Mbappe. Instead, it was Cristiano Ronaldo in 2023, according to Forbes.
Yet, after securing a $200 million contract with Al Nassr Football Club of the Saudi Arabian Pro League, Ronaldo landing in first place shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.
Ronaldo reportedly is set to earn a total of $260 million in 2023, with an estimated $60 million coming from endorsement deals such as Nike and Jacob & Co., among others.
Ronaldo’s $260 million is more than double the earnings of last year’s highest-paid soccer player. In 2022, it was Kylian Mbappe who raked in an estimated $128 million.
But this isn’t the first time Ronaldo has led all footballers in earnings. He also held the honor in 2021, taking home $125 million. It’s his sixth time making the most among his peers since 2014. Lionel Messi was soccer’s highest-paid player from 2018 to 2020, according to Forbes.
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