Cristiano Ronaldo still reigns supreme in world sport. Forbes published its list of the ten highest-paid athletes this Friday, and the Portuguese star once again tops the ranking: $300 million over the past twelve months, with Leo Messi still on the podium and Jon Rahm, the Spaniard, in a class of his own.

Cristiano Ronaldo's meteoric rise since arriving in Saudi Arabia has been a game-changer. His contract with Al-Nassr largely explains this dazzling ascent: Forbes estimates his salary at $235 million per year. With this latest edition, he tops the ranking for the fourth consecutive time and the sixth time overall, equaling Michael Jordan's record. A remarkable achievement.

Messi remains among the giants. The Argentinian, who topped the rankings in 2019 and 2022, is in third place with $140 million, split evenly between his on-field and off-field earnings. Between Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi is Canelo Álvarez, second with $170 million.

The top 10 also reveals the strength of many sectors beyond football. Lewis Hamilton, now a Ferrari driver, reaches $100 million, thus improving on the record he set in Formula 1 in 2021. Shohei Ohtani regains the top spot in the MLB financial rankings with $127.6 million, thanks in particular to his commercial contracts.

Ohtani wields considerable influence off the court. His off-court earnings reach $125 million thanks to Western brands like Fanatics, Hugo Boss, and New Balance, as well as Japanese companies such as FamilyMart, Ito En, and Seiko. Only Conor McGregor, among active athletes, had surpassed this amount in 2021 with the sale of his whiskey brand.

Saudi Arabia has significant influence on the board of directors

Saudi influence is once again omnipresent. It manifests itself in the contracts of Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema, in Canelo Álvarez's multi-million dollar deal tied to the Riyadh Season, and in the payments Jon Rahm receives from LIV Golf, the tour backed by Saudi capital. Although Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund has announced a reduction in its funding for LIV, Middle Eastern money continues to set the tone.

Here is the full ranking: Cristiano Ronaldo is in first place with $300 million, followed by Canelo Álvarez with 170 million, Leo Messi with 140 million, LeBron James with 137.8 million, Shohei Ohtani with 127.6 million, Stephen Curry with 124.7 million, Jon Rahm with 107 million, Karim Benzema with 104 million, Kevin Durant with 103.8 million and Lewis Hamilton with 100 million.

The final list also reveals legends who continue to shine in the business world. The average age of the top ten is 37, a record since the creation of the Forbes ranking. Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, and Hamilton are already 41. Joe Ohtani and Jon Rahm, both 31, are the youngest on a list where each has crossed the $100 million mark for the third consecutive year.