Cristiano Ronaldo has become the top earning athlete in the world after raking in a cool £61million in the last year alone.
The superstar footballer usurped long-term leader Floyd Mayweather Jnr into first place. The retired boxer, who fought just once in the last 12 months, earned £30million.
Ronaldo’s monster pay-packet was the result of his eye-watering £38.5million-a-year salary with Spanish giants Real Madrid and endorsement deals with the likes of Nike, watchmaker Tag Heuer and nutrition supplements group Herbalife – themselves worth £22million.
His footballing rival Lionel Messi – who the 31-year-old beat to be crowned the World Player of the Year in January – was second on the list, taking home £56million in 2015/16.
It is the first time since 2001 that an athlete other than Mayweather Jnr or golfer Tiger Woods topped the earning league.
Former world number one Woods has not won a single tournament since 2013 and missed most of the last year recovering from surgery on his back.
The superstar footballer usurped long-term leader Floyd Mayweather Jnr into first place. The retired boxer, who fought just once in the last 12 months, earned £30million.
Ronaldo’s monster pay-packet was the result of his eye-watering £38.5million-a-year salary with Spanish giants Real Madrid and endorsement deals with the likes of Nike, watchmaker Tag Heuer and nutrition supplements group Herbalife – themselves worth £22million.
His footballing rival Lionel Messi – who the 31-year-old beat to be crowned the World Player of the Year in January – was second on the list, taking home £56million in 2015/16.
It is the first time since 2001 that an athlete other than Mayweather Jnr or golfer Tiger Woods topped the earning league.
Former world number one Woods has not won a single tournament since 2013 and missed most of the last year recovering from surgery on his back.
