Forbes‘ annual list of the world's top-paid athletes has placed Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest-earning male footballer in the world for this year.
But despite Ronaldo agreeing to a temporary salary cut in order to help his side Juventus through this sticky spell – he remains top dog when it comes to yearly earnings.
Tennis legend and 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer is No1 on the overall list for athletes – with a number of NBA stars including Steph Curry and LeBron James also taking their places high up in the standings alongside the Portuguese.
But let’s take a look at the other footballers who made the cut alongside fellow sporting royalty.
Forbes' top ten earners in the beautiful game.
1. CRISTIANO RONALDO – £85.8million
Salary/winnings: £48.1m
Endorsements: £37.7m
Even at 35-years-old the Portuguese remains a juggernaut on and off the pitch.
2. LIONEL MESSI – £83.4m
Salary/winnings: £57.8m
Endorsements: £25.6m
Like his old sparring partner Ronaldo, the Argentine remains in remarkable nick as he gets further into his thirties.
3. NEYMAR – £76.6m
Salary/winnings: £56.6m
Endorsements: £20m
The PSG superstar remains the most expensive player of all time in a record likely to last a very long time – particularly given Covid-19.
4. MOHAMED SALAH – £28.2m
Salary/winnings: £18.5m
Endorsements: £9.7m
Nobody comes even remotely close to the undisputed top three on this list – but Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah is the best of the rest.
5. KYLIAN MBAPPE – £27.1m
Salary/winnings: £16.7m
Endorsements: £10.4m
The youngest player on this list at just 21, the French whizkid appears to have the world at his feet.
6. ANDRES INIESTA – £23.7m
Salary/winnings: £21.3m
Endorsements: £2.4m
At 36, Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta is happily playing out the remainder of his career in Japan… and being paid handsomely for it too.
7. MESUT OZIL – £23m
Salary/winnings: £18.6m
Endorsements: £4.4m
With star player Mesut Ozil's contract running into its final few months, and Alexis Sanchez having just departed the club – Arsenal handed the German a lucrative pay rise back in February 2018.
8. PAUL POGBA – £22.8m
Salary/winnings: £18.5m
Endorsements: £4.3m
Paul Pogba remains a marketing powerhouse, however, and is one of Adidas' most valuable assets.
9. OSCAR – £22m
Salary/winnings: £20.7m
Endorsements: £1.3m
Having featured on fewer TV screens around the world since the move, however, the former Chelsea star’s earnings from endorsements are comfortably the fewest of this top ten.
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10. ANTOINE GRIEZMANN – £21.4m
Salary/winnings: £17m
Endorsements: £4.4m
Another World Cup winner and Puma's top footballer though, Griezmann remains a huge commercial asset.
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 years ago
