Forbes Reveals Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes in 2023 With Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the Lead

Following a recent big-money move to Saudi Arabia where he currently earns a huge annual salary of $ 75 million, Cristiano Ronaldo tops the Forbes list for the first time since 2017, with a total of $ 136 million. He sits ahead of his longstanding rival, Lionel Messi, who is just $6 million shy away from Ronaldo’s total after bringing home a combined $130m while club teammate and France captain Mbappe -- the youngest on the list at 24 -earned $120m to sit third.

ACCORDING TO FORBES

“Skyrocketing league media rights agreements and growing off-field opportunities have already sent athletes’ pay soaring in recent years, but Middle Eastern money is pouring oil on the fire. In all, the world’s ten highest-paid athletes collected an estimated $1.11 billion before taxes and agents’ fees over the last 12 months, up 12% from last year’s $990 million and 5% from the record of $1.06 billion set in 2018.”

“The 2018 total was tilted by an extraordinary outlier in boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., who hit $285 million that year—the second-highest payday for an athlete in the 33-year history of the Forbes list. The 2023 top ten, however, is imposing from top to bottom. Ronaldo leads the way with an estimated haul of $136 million, including $46 million from his playing salary and bonuses and $90 million from endorsements, appearances, licensing income and other business endeavors. Mbappé, who at age 24 comes in at No. 3 with $120 million, and Johnson, who lands at No. 6 with $107 million, make eye-popping debuts in the top ten.”

“Those three are part of a group of eight athletes who each earned more than $100 million over the last 12 months, twice as many as in any previous year. Ronaldo, Messi ($130 million) and LeBron James ($119.5 million) have all reached that threshold before, but the other five—Mbappé and Johnson, plus boxing champion Canelo Álvarez ($110 million), Mickelson ($106 million) and NBA sharpshooter Stephen Curry ($100.4 million)—earned nine figures for the first time. Only seven other sports stars have ever joined this exclusive club.”

As Revealed by Forbes, Here are the The top 10 highest-paid Athletes 

1. Cristiano Ronaldo ($136M)

After his unexpected move to Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr, the pay bump has him atop the athlete earnings list for the first time since 2017, and the third time overall, while setting an all-time high for a soccer player with his $136 million total. Brands can’t resist Ronaldo and his massive fan base—850 million followers across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, more than any other athlete in the world. Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange, is among the latest additions to his sponsor stable, helping push his off-field total to an estimated $90 million over the last 12 months.


2. Lionel Messi ($130m)

He has a substantial sum of earnings, which is in line with his impressive figures in the previous two versions of the list. Moreover, he enjoys a lengthy catalog of profitable endorsements, such as Adidas, Budweiser , and PepsiCo. In particular, his partnership with Socios, a fan platform that utilizes blockchain technology, provides him an approximate annual income of $20 million. Considering his recent triumph in leading Argentina to a World Cup triumph in December, he is likely to receive more lucrative prospects in the future.


3. Kylian Mbappe ($120m)

Mbappé has climbed up the earnings list and is now in the top ten, making him the only member who is still under 30. It's worth noting that he earns the highest playing salary in soccer, and it's well-deserved considering his outstanding performance in the 2022 World Cup with France, where he was just one win away from securing a second consecutive title. Additionally, he was a close runner-up to his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Lionel Messi for the Best FIFA Men's Player Award. In June, he took on the role of the first player ambassador for Sorare, a cryptocurrency-based fantasy game. Later on, he used his growing influence to intervene in a disagreement with the French Football Federation.


4. Lebron James ($119.5m)

Previously, Lebron James made history as the first active athlete to be certified a billionaire by Forbes. Adding  to his remarkable endorsement portfolio, he is the driving force behind Ladder, a sports nutrition company, and the SpringHill Company, which creates and produces TV and other forms of entertainment content. He has also served as a producer for the 2023 film House Party, which was shot in his mansion. Recently, he invested in a Major League Pickleball team and revealed his aspirations to own an NBA expansion team in Las Vegas.


5. Canelo Alvarez ($110m)

Every time Álvarez enters the ring, he earns tens of millions of dollars, thanks to his spectacular performances against Dmitry Bivol and Gennadiy Golovkin in the past year. (Note that his earnings from his upcoming fight with John Ryder on May 6 are not included in this Forbes list, which only runs through May 1.) While he has fewer conventional endorsements than other athletes of his stature, Álvarez has collaborated with Hennessy and Michelob Ultra. Moreover, he enlisted the services of Excel Sports Management in September to expand his marketing deals, and he is also actively engaged in entrepreneurship.

6. Dustin Johnson ($107m)

Johnson was the first star to jump to LIV Golf, last May, and he finished 2022 with a tour-best $35.6 million in prize money, including $18 million for winning the season-long individual championship. The move may have cost him sponsors, including Royal Bank of Canada, but it also made him the biggest gainer of the year: He didn’t even make the list of 2022’s 50 highest-paid athletes.


7. Phil Mickelson ($106m)

Mickelson has achieved a career milestone by earning over $1 billion in pre-tax earnings last year. Although he lost a few sponsors after joining LIV Golf, he's been keeping himself busy with other ventures off the golf course. One of his projects includes being a co-founder of For Wellness, a company that specializes in coffee supplements. He's also part of a group of investors who recently purchased a large plot of land outside Phoenix. Recently, at the Masters tournament, he delivered a remarkable performance, finishing in second place with his LIV Golf colleague Brooks Koepka. This impressive feat was thanks to his excellent final-round score of 65.


8. Stephen Curry ($100.4m)

His $48.1 million salary was the NBA’s highest this season, and he’ll become the league’s first $50 million man in 2023-24, when he is set to make $51.9 million. The Golden State Warriors guard lost a major sponsor when FTX collapsed, and he has since been swept into a lawsuit accusing its celebrity endorsers of misleading customers in ads promoting the cryptocurrency exchange. But he has filled that void and then some. In March, he signed a long-term extension with Under Armour that will extend into his retirement from basketball, and he has a new partnership with Chase Bank. 


9. Roger Federer ($95.1m)

As he embarks on his second act, the individual still retains a list of over twelve enduring partnerships, and recently disclosed a licensing agreement for his RF brand with eyewear manufacturer Oliver Peoples. Additionally, he holds a notable investment in the rapidly expanding Swiss footwear company, On.


10. Kevin Durant ($89.1m)

In the past ten months alone, he has acquired interests in a range of enterprises through his investment firm, 35V. These include the Premier Lacrosse League, Happy Viking nutrition brand, League One Volleyball, Athletes Unlimited women's sports league network, a Major League Pickleball team, Fanatics' Mitchell & Ness label, Goldenset Collective digital creator business, ScorePlay sports software startup, and Tiger Woods' TMRW Sports. Furthermore, he has established a burgeoning media presence with Boardroom and holds one of Nike's most valuable sneaker contracts in the NBA, which was recently converted to a lifelong partnership.