Cristiano Ronaldo, Rahm, Messi Top Sportico List of 2023's Highest-Paid Athletes

The 2023 list of highest-paid athletes was revealed Wednesday, with two of the most recognizable soccer players in the world ranking in the top three.

Per Sportico, Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list by earning $275 million last year. His longtime rival Lionel Messi was not far behind, placing No. 3 with $130 million. 2023 Masters winner Jon Rahm took the No. 2 spot with $203 million.

After previously starring for Manchester United, Ronaldo signed a contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr that is believed to be worth over $200 million per year. With well over half a billion followers on social media, Ronaldo is making an estimated $60 million in off-field endorsements.

Ronaldo and Messi are two of four soccer players in the top six on Sportico's list, as they are joined by Kylian Mbappé ($125 million) and Neymar ($121 million). Conversely, the only two football players to rank in the top 25 are Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes ($84.3 million) and Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson ($82.5 million). Four NBA players were ranked in the top 10, with LeBron James leading the way at $125.7 million.

The top 10 on Sporico's list of highest-paid athletes looks like this:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo ($260M)
2. Jon Rahm ($203M)
3. Lionel Messi ($130M)
4. LeBron James ($125.7M)
5. Kylian Mbappé ($125M)
   
6. Neymar ($121M)
7. Stephen Curry ($98.9M)
8. Giannis Antetokounmpo ($88.4M)
9. Kevin Durant ($86.9M)
10. Patrick Mahomes ($84.3M)

The most glaring part of the list is that no women's athletes made it into the top 100, which marks the first time that only men made the cut in the three years that Sportico has been compiling the highest-paid athletes, per Kurt Badenhausen.

U.S. Open winner Coco Gauff was the highest-paid female athlete in 2023 with an estimated $22.7 million from prize money, endorsements and appearances. Badenhausen noted that Gauff's earnings wouldn't have landed her in the top 200, either.