Cristiano Ronaldo Passes Lionel Messi, Leads Best Paid Athletes in the World

• Cristiano Ronaldo has officially been named the best-paid athlete in 2023
• The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's Al-Nassr deal has seen him rank highly
• Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe complete the top three spots for the year

Cristiano Ronaldo has supplanted Lionel Messi as the world's best-paid sportsperson. The Portuguese star surpassed his Argentine arch-rival for the first time since 2017.

His move to Saudi Arabian giants, Al-Nassr, in January played a huge role by creating a massive spike in his income.

Guinness World Records, via Forbes, has listed the veteran's earnings as $136 million. Interestingly, he is said to earn more from his off-pitch dealings than his talent on the field.

Of the reported millions he made this year, only $46mil came from his contract with Al-Nassr. The rest came from endorsements, partnerships, and his own personal brand.

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Ronaldo passes Messi as highest-earner

Former number 1, Messi dropped to second place with estimated earnings of $130mil evenly distributed between his on-field salary at the time (with Paris Saint-Germain) and his 'side hustles'.

Kylian Mbappe wraps up the top three places, largely due to his mouthwatering $100mil in on-field income with the Parisians coupled with $20mil from off-field activities.

Basketball superstar, LeBron James, comes in fourth on the list with estimated earnings of $119mil, comprised of his $44.5mil income at the Los Angeles Lakers and other ventures.

Mexican boxing star, Canelo Alvarez, raked in $110mil dollars to place fifth on the list while pro golfer, Dustin Johnson, reaped from his decision to join LIV Golf last year.

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Ronaldo invests in luxury watch

Earlier, Sports Brief reported on Ronaldo investing in his watch passion by making an investment in the digital timepiece trade platform, Chrono24.

The brand revealed he had acquired an undisclosed portion to become one of its shareholders, which further raises his portfolio in the business world.

The 38-year-old, currently representing Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, shared a social media picture with Tim Stracke, Chrono24's co-CEO and founder.