Cristiano Ronaldo has surpassed Lionel Messi and established a new record for the highest athlete salary in a single year.

Messi is passed by Ronaldo.

earned $136 million (£104 million)

Moved in January to Saudi Arabia

WHAT OCCURED? After earning an astounding $136 million since joining Al-Nassr, Ronaldo has led Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes for the first time since 2017. He will also set a Guinness World Record for the highest yearly earnings of an athlete in 2023. Messi received the prize in 2022 while still playing for Paris Saint-Germain and earning a yearly salary of $130 million (£103 million).

THE RUMOR: Ronaldo’s income is divided between on-field and off-field sources. A total of $90 million (£68.5 million) was earned by the Portugal international in the later. When he moved to Al-Nassr, his pay virtually doubled, although his profits there are far outpaced by his sponsorship arrangement with Nike and his CR7-branded goods.

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WHAT NEXT? Ronaldo will link up with Al- Nassr ahead of their pre-season friendlies against the likes of Celta Vigo, PSG, and Inter.