
The Portuguese forward was forced out of Manchester United at the turn of the year following controversial comments made towards the club. Despite a significant drop-off in quality from his Champions League days, Ronaldo certainly hasn’t suffered in compensation.
Forbes has revealed that the 38-year-old earned £109m last year in “prize money, salaries, and bonuses”, as well as off-field “sponsorship deals, appearances fees, and memorabilia”. This places him just ahead of Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi at £104m ($130m), while Kylian Mbappe makes up a hat-trick of footballers in the top three, with his earnings worth £96m ($120m).
The exorbitant figures posted for Ronaldo are the largest amount for a footballer in history and puts the Portugal star back on the top spot for the first time since 2017. Curiously, the Al-Nassr captain could soon be joined by Messi in Saudi Arabia.
Current employers PSG won’t be renewing him beyond this summer, and a recent trip to the Gulf state has fuelled rumors of a reunion between the long-standing rivals – with Al-Hilal having already submitted a mega-money bid.