Cristiano Ronaldo earned $260m to be 2023 highest-paid footballers in the world according to Forbes

Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Cristiano Ronaldo earned $260m to be 2023 highest-paid footballers in the world according to Forbes.

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently earning $125 million more than any other player in world soccer.

That is according to Forbes, who published a list of the 11 highest-paid soccer players this week.

The list estimates how much each of those 11 players is expected to earn in 2023, both in terms of payments from their teams and off-field income, such as sponsorship deals.

Ronaldo can apparently expect to bank $260m by the end of the year, with $200m of that coming directly from his club, Al Nassr.

Ronaldo calls Manchester United his second family.

Ronaldo calls Manchester United his second family.CREDIT:AFP

With Ronaldo less than two years into a five-year contract at the Bernabau, any potential bidder must also be prepared to sanction a four-year deal, worth approximately £9 million a year in wages. An admission by United manager Louis van Gaal last week that the club would be interested in signing Ronaldo, five years after his world-record £80 million transfer to Real, has added to speculation in Spain that the world footballer of the year could be sold by the European champions at the end of this season.

Ronaldo’s fractious relationship with Real president Florentino Perez has become increasingly strained following his public disagreement with the decision to sell Angel di Maria and Xabi Alonso during the transfer window. There is now a growing sense within the game that Perez will consider selling Ronaldo next summer. Equally, Ronaldo has done little to dismiss the prospect of a return to United, admitting only last month that the club was like a “second family”.

Ronaldo’s value to Al Nassr and the club’s owners – which include the Saudi Public Investment Fund – is not limited to what he can do on the soccer field. Forbes explained: “Ronaldo’s new Saudi employers haven’t been shy about taking advantage of his prowess as a celebrity pitchman.

2023 highest-paid footballers in the world, per Forbes

1. Ronaldo ($260m)

2. Messi ($135m)

3. Neymar ($112m)

4. Mbappé ($110m)

5. Benzema ($106m)

6. Haaland ($58m)

7. Salah ($53m)

8. Mané ($52m)

9. De Bruyne ($39m)

10. Kane ($36m)