Ronaldo leapfrogs Messi as Forbes' highest-earning footballer - 7M sport

Ronaldo leapfrogs Messi as Forbes' highest-earning footballer



Posted Wednesday, September 22, 2021 by Goal.com

Ronaldo leapfrogs Messi as Forbes' highest-earning footballer

The legendary duo remain the best-paid players in football, with PSG stars taking up three of the top four spots

Cristiano Ronaldo's big-money move to Manchester United has helped him leapfrog Lionel Messi to become Forbes' highest-earning footballer this year.

Ronaldo is set to earn $125 million (£91.5m) before taxes during the 2021-22 season, with $70m (£51.25m) of that coming from his salary and bonuses for his return to Old Trafford.

Messi, meanwhile, sits just behind him at $110m (£80.5m) with his new Paris Saint-Germain team-mates Neymar and Kylian Mbappe rounding out the top four.

Forbes' top 10 highest earners in football

Ronaldo leapfrogs Messi as Forbes' highest-earning footballer

How does Ronaldo compare to other athletes?

With $55m (£40m) of his earnings coming from commercial deals, Ronaldo is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world when it comes to sponsorship earnings.

Only three other active athletes make more commercially than the Manchester United star: Roger Federer ($90m/£66m), LeBron James ($65m/£48m) and Tiger Woods ($60m/44m)

In total, the 10 highest-paid footballers are set to collect pretax earnings of around $585m (£428m) this season, up from last year's total of around $570m (£471m).



Attention: Third parties may advertise their products and/or services on our website.7M does not warrant the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of their contents.
Your dealings with such third parties are solely between you and such third parties and we shall not be liable in any way for any loss or damage of any sort incurred by you.