Cristiano Ronaldo earned five times as much money last year as former Manchester United team-mates Marcus Rashford and Casemiro got in wages. The Portuguese football legend reportedly pocketed a staggering £108.7m in 2022, making him the highest-paid athlete in the world according to Forbes.
Meanwhile, Casemiro and Rashford earn a respectable £10.5m a year. Ronaldo’s earnings were broken down into £36.6m of on-field wages and £71.7m from sponsorship and endorsements.
The 38-year-old is signed to multiple lucrative brand deals including TAG Heuer, Herbalife, DAZN and Nike. Yet his overall earnings are set for an even bigger hike in 2023 after signing with Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr in January.
Ronaldo signed a £176.5m a year deal with the club, making him the highest-paid football player of all time and has picked up an estimated £60m of additional marketing opportunities in his new home.
However, he could have been on his way out of the country last month after he appeared to grab his crotch towards fans following Al Nassr’s 2-0 loss to Al Hilal. A video uploaded to social media shows Ronaldo grabbing his crotch as he was jeered off the pitch by fans who chanted: “Messi, Messi, Messi,” as he walked down the tunnel.
The crude gesture prompted calls for Ronaldo to be deported from many within the Middle Eastern nation. Taking to Twitter, to slam Ronaldo’s actions, lawyer Nouf bin Ahmed wrote: “It is considered a crime of public dishonor, and it is one of the crimes that entails arrest and deportation if committed by a foreigner.”
She vowed to file a complaint to the Saudi Prosecutor’s Office for his ‘crime of public indecency’. But according to reports from Marca, Al-Nassr sources have defended Ronaldo and claim he didn’t make the gesture towards supporters and rather it was a reaction to a blow he received earlier in the match when the ball directly struck his groin. Luckily for Ronaldo, no actions were taken and he remains under contract with Al Nassr, which almost certainly guarantees him another top spot on the Forbes list next year.
The latest financial ratings saw Lionel Messi come out in second place with £103.9m, Kylian Mbappe in third with £95.9m, LeBron James placed fourth with £95.5m and Canelo Alvarez in fifth position having earned £87.9m.
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