Cristiano Ronaldo Sets New World Record with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabian League

• Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr after an unceremonious exit from Manchester United
• The 38-year-old’s transfer to Saudi Arabia saw him become one of football’s top earners
• Ronaldo's status as a record-holder has now been confirmed by Guinness World Records

Cristiano Ronaldo's move to the Middle East saw him become the world's highest-earning sportsman for the first time since 2017.

The former Manchester United star's yearly gross earnings at his new club, Al-Nassr, saw him achieve this status for the third time.

According to the latest information from Forbes, Ronaldo has topped the list of the world’s highest-paid stars, earning himself another world record for the highest annual earnings for an athlete in 2023.

In the 12 months leading up to May 1, 2023 - the date by which most sports seasons are concluded - the Portuguese veteran is estimated to have earned $136 million, as reported by Guinness World Records.

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This is comprised of $46mil in on-field earnings in the Saudi Pro League, plus $90mil off the pitch.

Ronaldo has claimed the title from the previous holder, Lionel Messi, who was the highest-paid athlete of 2022 with an estimated taking of £103mil, per SportBible.

Ronaldo’s transfer to Al-Nassr

After an underwhelming second stint at Manchester United - by his standards at least - Ronaldo left the club in November 2022 and joined Al-Nassr in January this year.

This blockbuster and highly debated move is believed to be worth around $75mil per year, yet his off-field earnings are believed to far exceed his on-field income.

Alongside his lifetime contract with Nike, Ronaldo makes millions upon millions through CR7-branded merchandise.

Forbes factored every athlete’s both on-field and off-field earnings when collating their rankings, including salaries, prize money, bonuses, sponsorships, appearance fees, memorabilia, licensing income, and business interests.

Forbes' top three highest-paid stars

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The top three highest-paid athletes of the 2022/23 season are all football players. Messi is second to his long-time rival and third place is taken by his Paris Saint-Germain teammate, Kylian Mbappé.

Ronaldo invests in watch brand

In related news, Sports Brief reported on Ronaldo investing in the watch market, expressing his love for high-end timepieces with a purchase of shares in digital platform, Chrono24.

It was revealed the veteran had acquired an undisclosed portion of the company, thus becoming one of its shareholders and further raising his portfolio in the world of business.

38-year-old Ronaldo, currently representing Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, recently shared a photo on Instagram of himself alongside Tim Stracke, the co-CEO and founder of Chrono24.