Cristiano Ronaldo’s big-money transfer to Manchester United has placed him above rival Lionel Messi to become the highest-paid footballer for 2021, according to the latest Forbes rankings.
Cristiano Ronaldo has left Italy’s Juventus to join England’s Manchester United, helping the franchise score two goals on his return. Just a few weeks ago, Messi announced that he was leaving Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Ronaldo is set to earn $125 million before taxes in the 2021-22 season, with $70 million from salary and bonuses to return to United.
The rest comes from individual endorsements and partnerships with brands. Only three other active athletes earn more professionally than Ronaldo: Roger Federer ($90 million), LeBron James ($65 million) and Tiger Woods ($60 million).
Messi, who dropped out of the top spot, and who is second on the list, is set to earn $110 million, where he will be paid $75 million at PSG this season. The former Barcelona star will pad his PSG paycheck with an estimated $35 million in endorsements.
Forbes compiled the list after talking to clubs, players’ agents, commercial sponsors and soccer experts around the world, and transfer fees have been excluded.
PSG has three of the five highest paid soccer players in the world. 29-year-old Neymar is third with $95 million, followed by 22-year-old Kylian Mbappe with $43 million.
Overall, the ten highest-paid soccer players are set to collect around $585 million in pre-tax earnings this season, up from last year’s total of about $570 million.
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