Cristiano Ronaldo: World’s Highest-Paid Athlete In 2023
In the NBA, LeBron James was the highest paid player; in the NFL, Patrick Mahomes was the top player.
Of all the activities, sports are the most profitable. An enormous portion of the billions of dollars that sport generates each year ends up in the pockets of players, who are among the richest people on the planet. The soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo leads this group of athletes.
The Sportico web states that the $5.4 billion total revenue of the top 100 athletes worldwide came from sponsorships and salaries totaling $4.2 billion and prizes totaling $1.2 billion, respectively.
With total earnings of $275 million, which included $210 million from his contract and $60 million in endorsements, Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo who is currently a member of the Saudi team Al-Nassr, was the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2023.
With $203 million in earnings, $181 million in prize money, and $22 million in sponsorships, Spanish golfer Jon Rahm ranked second on the list. With a salary of $65 million and the same amount from advertising, Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi closes out the Top 3.
How about American sports?
LeBron James, a basketball player, is the first American athlete on the 2023 list. He comes in fourth place overall with earnings of $125 million, largely from his $80 million advertising budget in addition to his $45.7 million contract.
The next three names are added to the list by the NBA: Stephen Curry comes in seventh place overall with $98.9 million in revenue. Eighth and ninth overall are Giannis Antetokounmpo ($88.4 million) and Kevin Durant ($86.4 million).
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who earned $84.3 million in 2023, is the highest-ranked NFL athlete on the list. Lamar Jackson, who is ranked eleventh in the world and has added $82.5 million to his bank account, is one step down.
Other sportsmen
In 2023, there was not a single female athlete listed in the Top 100 richest athletes globally. The highest paid athlete was American tennis player Coco Gauff, who earned $22.7 million.
Max Verstappen, a Dutch driver who ranked 15th overall with $75 million, had the highest income of any driver. Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese player with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was the highest-paid player of the year, earning $70 million and ranking 16th overall.
With an estimated net worth of $66 million, Mexican boxer Saul “Canelo” Alvarez ranked 17th in the world and was the best paid fighter of 2023.
