Ronaldo, Messi, top 10 highest paid athletes in the world

Former Manchester United star, Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabian Al Nassr has renewed discussions on the ranking of the highest-paid athletes in the world.

The former Real Madrid star has signed a deal with Al-Nassr until 2025.

He will receive the biggest salary in the history of the game worth close to £173 million per year.

Recall that Messi, Ronaldo’s closest rival in the game, made a sensational free transfer to PSG in 2021.

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Below are the top 10 highest-paid athletes in the world according to DBRS Morningstar ranking.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr): €112.1m

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Saudi Professional League club, Al Nassr and captains the Portugal national team.

2. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain/football): €70.6m

Lionel Andrés Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. He recently led Argentina to the World Cup victory in Qatar.

3. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain/football): €65.9m

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, known as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team. He was signed by PSG from Barcelona in 2017 in a world-record worth £200m.

4. Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams/NFL): €65.7m

John Matthew Stafford is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. He played college football at Georgia, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected first overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 NFL Draft.

5. Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills/NFL): €59.3m

Joshua Patrick Allen is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. Allen played college football at Wyoming, where he was a bowl game MVP and was selected seventh overall by the Bills in the 2018 NFL Draft.

6. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers/NFL): €53.7m

7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes/Formula One): €53.7m

Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes.

In Formula One, Hamilton has won a joint-record seven World Drivers’ Championship titles, and holds the records for the most wins, pole positions, and podium finishes, among others.

8. Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns/NFL): €52.3m

Derrick Deshaun Watson is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He played college football at Clemson, where he led the team to a national championship in 2016. Watson was selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.

9. Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings/NFL): €43.3m

Kirk Daniel Cousins is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State and was drafted by the team then known as the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft as a backup to fellow rookie Robert Griffin III.

10. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing/Formula One): €43.3m

Max Emilian Verstappen is a Belgian-Dutch racing driver and the 2021 and 2022 Formula One World Champion. He competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One with Red Bull Racing.

Source: Marca