Cristiano Ronaldo Tops Lionel Messi as Best-Paid Footballer in 2015 Forbes List
Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid footballer on Forbes' 2015 rich list, but even the Real Madrid superstar's earnings don't come close to what boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao earned over the last year.
Ronaldo is third on the overall list, one place higher than Barcelona's Lionel Messi. No other professional footballer makes it in the top 10, with Paris Saint-Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic the sport's next most lucrative earner in 14th.
Here's a look at this year's top 10:
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| 1 | Floyd Mayweather | Boxing | $300 million |
| 2 | Manny Pacquiao | Boxing | $160 million |
| 3 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Soccer | $79.6 million |
| 4 | Lionel Messi | Soccer | $73.8 million |
| 5 | Roger Federer | Tennis | $67 million |
| 6 | LeBron James | Basketball | $64.8 million |
| 7 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | $54.1 million |
| 8 | Phil Mickelson | Golf | $50.8 million |
| 9 | Tiger Woods | Golf | $50.6 million |
| 10 | Kobe Bryant | Basketball | $49.5 million |
Salary and money earned from endorsements are combined to create Forbes' list. Despite less than productive years in their respective sports, this is why Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant still rank among the elite earners.
Forbes notes Ronaldo's salary is over $50 million per year (approximately £32.2 million) when bonuses are added and that he has accumulated over 102 million Facebook likes and 35 million followers on Twitter. He also earns $21.8 million from his sponsorship deal with Nike (£14.1 million), reported by Alex Miller of the Daily Mail.
Ronaldo has his "commercially good looks" to thank for landing the CR7 underwear range, according to Forbes' page on the Portuguese forward. Scoring 48 Liga goals during the 2014-15 season and winning two consecutive Ballon d'Or trophies also helped keep the 30-year-old in the limelight.
Interestingly, Ronaldo also tops Repucom's list of Europe's most marketable footballers, reported by Adam Smith of the MailOnline. This survey was carried out on "public perception," with 83 per cent of people on the planet reportedly knowing who Ronaldo is. Messi doesn't make it into the top 10.
The Argentinian is, however, the second-highest-earning footballer. Like Ronaldo, he earns $50 million per year (£32.2 million) in salary and enjoys a number of high-profile endorsement deals, according to Forbes.
Fans will remember Barca's all-time leading scorer appearing as Ironman in Samsung's advert to promote The Avengers: Age of Ultron, reported by Lee Thomas-Mason of the Mirror.
In March, Metro's Jamie Sanderson suggested Messi's earnings from sports manufacturers Adidas, EA Sports' FIFA 15 video game and Turkish Airlines bag him nearly of £1 million each week.
Neither Ronaldo nor Messi come close to the cash accumulated by Mayweather and Pacquiao, however, who bagged most of their earnings in May 2's superfight against each other. Both fought twice in 2014, with the former annihilating Woods' old Forbes record, tweeted by Ryan Mac:
PSG striker Ibrahimovic continues to be linked with a move to Italian outfit AC Milan, reported by Sky Sports. This would likely see his presence drop down the list next year, as the Serie A side do not possess the same financial muscle as the Ligue 1 champions.
Beyond him, Madrid's Gareth Bale is ranked 18th and Barca superstar Neymar comes in at 23rd. Forbes tweeted a notable accolade for Bale:
Neymar is followed by James Rodriguez—who shot to global prominence at the 2014 World Cup before moving from Monaco to Madrid—and Manchester United's Wayne Rooney in 34th. Forbes tweeted Rodriguez's recent financial successes:
Monaco striker Radamel Falcao, who scored just four Premier League goals on loan at United during the 2014-15 season, sits just below his former team-mate in 38th. Manchester City's Sergio Aguero finished the English season as top scorer with 26 goals and is the last footballer inside the top 50, currently ranked 45th.
Barca's Luis Suarez (73rd), Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas (79th) and Manchester City's Yaya Toure (83rd) are next on the list. Frank Lampard, who is due to link up with New York City FC after his spell with sister club Manchester City recently came to an end, is joint-87th alongside Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love.
Chelsea's Eden Hazard (90th) and Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil (93rd) are the last footballing representatives inside Forbes' top 100. The former won this season's PFA Player of the Year award in England and can expect to rise up the rankings in the future.
Ronaldo and Messi are likely to continue earning handsomely toward the end of their playing careers and beyond, but no sporting payout compares to the money generated by Mayweather and Pacquiao's showdown.
The global appeal of boxing undoubtedly shows its strength with this in mind, with athletes in football and other sports struggling to generate the same level of interest.
