Cristiano Ronaldo has once again topped Sportico's list of the highest-paid athletes of the year. In 12 months he managed to earn $260 million, of which $200 million was received under a contract with the Saudi club Al-Nasr. The rest came from advertising deals, personal brand and business projects. The growing interest in Middle Eastern football is noticeable even off the pitch: betting platforms, including https://dafbet.in/, have noted an increase in betting on matches involving CR7.

Ranking Details

The Sportico ranking takes into account two types of income: sporting (salaries, prize money, bonuses) and off-field (advertising, image contracts, personal brands and investments). All amounts are calculated before taxes. Both official contracts and estimates from industry sources are taken into account.

The top five leaders are not only football players. The second line was taken by John Ram ($218 million), a professional golfer who moved to LIV Golf. Lionel Messi closes the top three with $135 million, of which about $65 million came from his contract with Inter Miami and the rest from Nike, Adidas, Apple and others. Next come LeBron James ($128m) and Kylian Mbappe ($125m), whose advertising revenues are almost equal to their club salaries.

The spread is impressive: Ronaldo has a 200/60 ratio in favour of salary, while LeBron has a 50/78 ratio in favour of commerce. The statistics speak to the marketability of athletes and the nature of the industries in which they work.

Where did Ronaldo get that kind of income

Cristiano Ronaldo's main source of income is his contract with Al-Nasr club, signed in December 2022. Sportico estimates that the forward receives around $200m a year, including salary, bonuses and image agreements with Saudi partners. The terms of the Saudi club and CR7's contract are among the most expensive in the history of world sport.

The second component is advertising contracts. Ronaldo co-operates with dozens of global brands: Nike, Herbalife, Binance, Clear, Shopee, Free Fire. According to Forbes estimates, the footballer's annual income from advertising is about $60 million. Unlike many colleagues, the Portuguese player participates in the creation of campaigns personally and requires full integration of his image into the brand platform.

The third direction is business assets. The CR7 brand includes lines of perfumes, underwear, denim clothing and accessories. Ronaldo also owns shares in the hotel business (chain Pestana CR7 Hotels), investments in the fitness industry (CR7 Crunch Fitness) and is engaged in commercial property. All this brings a stable income that does not depend on his football career.

Comparison with Other Stars

Lionel Messi is ranked third in Sportico's rankings with $135 million in earnings. His contract with Inter Miami is valued at around $65 million a year, including income from partnership agreements with Apple and Adidas. Unlike Ronaldo, Messi's focus has shifted to commercialism rather than pure salary. He still works with Pepsi, Lay's, Adidas and Hard Rock, but is less active in the public sphere and not as aggressive in developing his personal brand.

Messi earns almost half as much as Ronaldo, but not because he is less popular, but because he prefers a quieter financial model. He is not involved in crypto projects and rarely launches his own products. The MLS contract is built on long-term involvement, including participation in the development of the league, rather than an immediate boost in profits.

Against the background of athletes from other disciplines, the revenue structure is also markedly different. John Ram ($218m), representing LIV Golf, has almost all of his income coming from signing bonuses. LeBron James ($128 million) earns more from business and investments than from the game. NFL stars are not in the top 5 at all - even Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have more modest contract structures.

Why Ronaldo Remains a Media Brand

Cristiano Ronaldo is a global media asset. His Instagram account is the most popular in the world (the audience is over 600 million followers). These are not only fans, but also brands, analysts, investors, media - every post of the Portuguese becomes an infopost, and advertising integration brings millions of views in a matter of hours.

Since joining Al-Nasr, interest in Saudi football has grown manifold. The club's YouTube channel has increased the number of subscribers tenfold, No. 7 jerseys have been sold out on pre-order, and match broadcasts have been sold to new regions, including Latin America and Southeast Asia. According to Transfermarkt, attendance at Al Nasr's home games increased by more than 60 per cent in the first month after signing the contract.

Any move by CR7 is a marketing boost. Even the appearance in uniform of a new partner resonates on the stock market and raises the brand's capitalisation. Ronaldo remains a media brand not because he talks a lot, but because every action of a footballer turns into an economic factor.

Reactions And Context

Cristiano himself has not commented on the publication of Sportico's rating, but the forward's inner circle has repeatedly emphasised that money is not an end in itself, but an indicator of progress. The news broke instantly in the media: headlines about the $260 million filled the news feeds, and social media users once again began to discuss who the real GOAT was. Fans in Saudi Arabia and beyond took the news as confirmation that Ronaldo remains at the top of his game even after leaving Europe's top leagues.

Analysts are sure: this is not the limit. The contract with Al-Nasr is about to expire, and the demand for Ronaldo as an advertising image is extremely high. Especially given the interest in Asian and Middle Eastern markets, where he is perceived not as an ex-star, but as a cultural symbol. Dafabet, for example, regularly features promotions featuring CR7, helping to build brand awareness. According to experts, if current activity and new contracts continue, the player's earnings could grow by a further 10-15 per cent as early as next year - including through deals with betting platforms such as Dafa Bet.