Ronaldo is number 1 in the world for the first time since 2017
Only one woman makes it into the top ten athletes with the highest income in 2023 - and she has already ended her career. After a long time, Cristiano Ronaldo is once again in first place. The Saudi Arabian investment in sport is unmistakable in the list.
In sporting terms, long-time rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have allowed themselves to be transferred into insignificance. Financially, however, the soccer superstars have returned to the top of the top earners in sport in the late fall of their careers - with a slight advantage for the Portuguese.
Thanks to his hefty contract with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo is once again the top international earner for the first time since 2017. According to Forbes magazine, the 2016 European champion will earn around 126 million euros (gross) over the course of 2023. Almost six million euros more than the Argentinian Messi in second place, who has been wearing the jersey of Beckham's club Inter Miami since last summer and his departure from Paris. Messi is also paid handsomely from Saudi Arabia as a tourism ambassador, just like Ronaldo.
Another footballer is in third place: Kylian Mbappé, a striker from Paris St. Germain, which has been pumped up with billions from Qatar, earned around 111 million euros. So the continent on which they play a sport does not seem to play a major role when it comes to salary. However, the top is characterized by players who have become immensely rich with fossil fuels.
A big name and good marketing outweigh sporting relevance. This is also shown by the position of retired tennis player Roger Federer in the rankings. The 42-year-old Swiss had already played his last official career match in 2022, but in 2023 he still landed in ninth place on the list with earnings of around 88 million euros.
The non-football king comes from the NBA
Serena Williams, who is the first woman on the list at 49th place, also benefits from perfect marketing - although the gender pay gap also has an impact here. Like Federer, the 23-time Grand Slam winner ended her career in 2022. Despite this, the 42-year-old still recorded around 41.5 million in earnings in 2023, making her the highest-paid female athlete of the year.
According to Forbes, the survey includes prize money, salaries and bonus payments. Sponsorship income, appearance fees and license fees for marketing products are also included. All figures are estimated before taxes and without payments to agents.
As with Ronaldo, the move to the desert paid off for US golfers Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson. The two Major winners left the prestigious PGA Tour and are now playing on the Saudi Arabian LIV Tour, whose owner (Saudi Arabia's state investment fund PIF) will soon also take over the PGA Tour. With 99 million euros (Johnson) and 98 million euros (Mickelson), the two golfing greats are ranked sixth and seventh respectively.
Meanwhile, basketball superstar LeBron James is one of three NBA players in the top ten. At around 110 million euros, the 38-year-old just missed out on the podium in fourth place. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors (€93 million, eighth place) and Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns (€82 million, tenth place) are a little further down. The top ten is completed by an exotic player: Multiple boxing world champion Canelo Alvarez from Mexico earned just under €101 million, putting him in fifth place behind James.
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Source: www.ntv.de
