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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated the football world for the better part of the 21st century. Other than their on-field accomplishments, the duo have also racked up millions in earnings, overshadowing not only other footballers but the majority of athletes in general. Messi and Ronaldo seem to be continuing this trend even in their late 30s, as claimed in a recent report.
Top athletes are known to earn big bucks, making sports one of the most lucrative professions if you manage to reach the very top. The combined income of the 100 best-earning athletes of 2023 amounted to a whopping $5.4b, with $4.2b of the said amount coming through salaries and the rest through sponsorships (via Sportico).
Cristiano Ronaldo emerged as the highest-earning athlete in 2023, majorly due to his lucrative contract with Saudi outfit Al-Nassr. The Portuguese superstar closed a successful 2023 with reported earnings of $275m, Sportico report.
While his salary of $210m with Al-Nassr counted for the bulk of his income, Cristiano Ronaldo bagged an additional $60m in endorsements and brand deals. In contrast, his rival Lionel Messi earned a total of $130m in 2023, making him the third-highest-paid athlete of the year in the world.
Having rejected an insane offer of €500m in salary from Al-Hilal last season, Lionel Messi still managed to overshadow most of his peers in earnings (via Marca). Apart from the $65m that the Argentinian earned from his contract with Inter Miami, he also managed to secure $65m in sponsorships.
The only non-footballer in the top three was Jon Rahm, the renowned Spanish golfer who bagged the second spot with a reported earning of $203m. Rahm made an income of $181m from sporting prizes and earned the rest of his money in 2023 from sponsorships.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi also dominate list of footballers' earnings per Instagram post
Despite their age, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are still the most followed footballers in this day and age. The duo continues to rule the pitch, as well as social media, as apparent by the numbers associated with their Instagram profiles.
While Ronaldo is the most followed individual on Instagram, with a whopping 617.2m followers, Messi holds the record for having the most liked picture on the platform.
The Argentine maestro's carousel of him celebrating the 2022 World Cup remains the most-liked post on Instagram to date, with 75.5m likes. Cristiano Ronaldo also reigns supreme among footballers when it comes to earnings on Instagram, with the 39-year-old superstar bagging approximately $1.96m per post (via GOAL).
Lionel Messi finishes a close second, with his per-post earnings on Instagram amounting to $1.58m (via Football's Finest). PSG's Kylian Mbappe comes in third place, with a per-post earning of $353,423. Arsenal's Bukayo Saka surprisingly occupies fourth place with a per-post income of $297,600 on Instagram.
