Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James Among Forbes' Highest-Paid Athletes for 2023
Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes' list of the highest-paid athletes in 2022 with total earnings of $136 million.
Only three other athletes have eclipsed the 38-year-old's off-field earnings ($90 million) in a single year since the publication began tracking its annual rankings.
Coincidentally given their longtime rivalry, Paris Saint-Germain's Lionel Messi narrowly trailed Ronaldo in second place at $130 million.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was the first athlete from an American sports league. His $119.5 million in overall earnings put him fourth.
The LIV Golf effect was on display.
There wasn't a single golfer in the top 10 when Forbes conducted the exercise in 2022, and Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson both made the cut this time around. The pair had significant gulfs between what they collected on and off the course.
In Mickelson's case, the gap exceeded $100 million ($104 million; $2 million), and it was nearly that high for Johnson ($102 million; $5 million).
At least Mickelson and Johnson continued competing, though, albeit away from the PGA Tour spotlight.
Roger Federer officially retired in September after having appeared in one competitive match in 2022. He teamed with Rafael Nadal in a doubles loss to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe in the Laver Cup.
Forbes tabulated the 41-year-old's off-court earnings at roughly $100,000, yet he remained a commercial colossus with $95 million in his bank account away from tennis.
