Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo, has overtaken PSG superstar Lionel Messi as the highest earner in world football, according to Forbes.
The Portuguese star’s move to Old Trafford has made him the highest-paid footballer in the world, overtaking rival Messi.
The Portugal skipper will earn almost €107m gross, which includes a salary of close to €60m and more than €40m in earnings from sponsorships and partnerships with brands like Nike, Herbalife and the CR7 brand, which includes perfumes, clothing, hotels and gyms this season.
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Only three athletes, Tennis legend Roger Federer (€77m), basketball star LeBron James (€55.5m) and golf player Tiger Woods (€51m) have more commercial earnings than United’s Ronaldo.
Ronaldo’s earnings have seen him move ahead of Messi, whose move to PSG from Barcelona, will see him earn around €94m gross, with a salary of €64 million, but with lower commercial earnings.
Messi is currently sponsored by brands which include Adidas, Pepsi and Budweiser.
Meanwhile, Neymar is the third-highest earner behind only Ronaldo and Messi. The Brazil international earns €81 million, despite having same salary as PSG team-mate Messi.
Below is Forbes’ top ten highest earners in football in 2021-22;
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – £91.5m ($125m)
2. Lionel Messi – £80.5m ($110m)
3. Neymar – £69.5m ($95m)
4. Kylian Mbappe – £31.5m ($43m)
5. Mohamed Salah – £30m ($41m)
6. Robert Lewandowski – £26m ($35m)
7. Andres Iniesta – £26m ($35m)
8. Paul Pogba – £25m ($34m)
9. Gareth Bale – £23.5m ($32m)
10. Eden Hazard – £21m ($29m)
