Cristiano Ronaldo pips Lionel Messi at top of Forbes 50 best paid sports after mega-money Saudi Arabia transfer
CRISTIANO RONALDO pipped old rival Lionel Messi to be named Forbes best-paid sports star.
The former Manchester United superstar leapt from third in last year’s list after sealing his eye-wateringly lucrative move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.
That deal, believed to be worth £173m a season, saw him top the charts having raked in £109MILLION since may last year.
That has Ronaldo ahead of Messi by £5m, with the World Cup-winner scooping £104m in the last 12 months.
Messi has been linked with signing an even bigger contract in Saudi Arabia, so could steal top spot back next year.
His Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe came third with £96m in earnings, followed by basketball superstar Lebron James who earned a million less.
Canelo Alvarez rounds out the top five, raking in £88m in the past year.
But fellow boxer Tyson Fury is the big absentee on the top 50 list as his earnings fell hugely after only fighting once in the last 12 months.
Fury, 34, enjoyed a short-lived retirement after his win over Dilian Whyte last April before coming back and beating Derek Chisora in December.
However, he has not fought since despite as talks over bouts with Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk.
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Last year, Fury featured on the Forbes’ rich list in 14th place but due to his lack of fights over the last year, he has tumbled out of the top 50.
The list tracks sports stars’ earnings from May 1, 2022 to May 1, 2023.
Joshua’s ranking in 28th will be another low blow to the Gypsy King as his rival raked in the cash over the last year.
The Brit fought twice in the period with one loss to Usyk and one win over Jermaine Franklin, earning him a cool £42.5million.
But he will be glad to know he is not the only high profile star to have dropped out of the lucrative list.
Former Tottenham and Real Madrid star Gareth Bale, 33, is no longer on the list since announcing his retirement from football.
This time last year the Welshman was 30th on the list, but the moved to the MLS to join LAFC before he hung up his boots following Wales‘ World Cup campaign in Qatar.
Bale could have had an income boost for next year’s list as he was offered a chance to return to football with newly promoted League Two side Wrexham.
But the former Galatico rejected Hollywood owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds‘ attempts to sign him.
YouTube sensation turned boxer Jake Paul, 26, has also dropped out of the top 50 after his 45th placement last year.
The American has fought in widely watched PPV events against Tommy Fury and MMA legend Anderson Silva, but it was not enough to put him among the top earners.