Cristiano Ronaldo overtakes Lionel Messi and sets new world record for highest annual earnings after raking in $136m in 2023.
Cristiano Ronaldo has overtaken Lionel Messi and has set a new world record for the highest annual earnings of an athlete.
 Ronaldo has topped Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes for the first time since 2017, and has earned a Guinness World Record for the highest annual earnings of an athlete in 2023, after raking in a staggering $136million since his move to Al-Nassr. Messi won the award in 2022, when he earned $130million (£103m) across the year, when he was still on the books at Paris Saint-Germain.
Ronaldo’s earnings are split between on-pitch and off-pitch earnings. The Portugal international earned $46million (£35m) in the former and $90million (£68.5m) in the latter. He saw his salary almost doubled when he moved to Al-Nassr, but his earnings there are outstripped hugely by his sponsorship deal with Nike and his CR7-branded merchandise.
Ronaldo will link up with Al- Nassr ahead of their pre-season friendlies against the likes of Celta Vigo, PSG, and Inter.
