For the fourth time in his career, Cristiano Ronaldo has topped the Forbes list of highest paid-athletes while Spanish golfer Jon Rahm moved to the second spot following his sensational switch to Saudi-backed LIV Golf recently. Ronaldo's arch-rival Lionel Messi is at the third position in the list whereas France superstar Kylian Mbappe dropped down to&nbsp;the sixth spot.

Talking about the Portugal captain, Ronaldo became the world's highest-paid athlete after his switch from Manchester United to Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr in late 2022. Forbes claimed that the 39-year-old's estimated total earnings were $260 million approximately, an all-time high for a soccer player. Meanwhile, the veteran's off-field earnings were $60 million courtesy of sponsorship deals (where brands make the most&nbsp;of his whopping 629 million Instagram followers -- Ronaldo is the most-followed individual, sportsperson, footballer on the platform).

<h2>MESSI AT THIRD, MBAPPE, LEBRON, NEYMAR MAKE TOP 10</h2>

Ronaldo's rival Messi sits at the third spot following&nbsp;a lucrative switch to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, helping the Argentine World Cup winner earn an unimaginable $135 million. The 36-year-old has earned $65 million in on-field earnings whereas he has added more&nbsp;off-field ($70 million)&nbsp;owing to deals with major sponsors such as Adidas and Apple.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/france-football-keen-on-awarding-robert-lewandowski-with-ballon-dor-reports-722231">France Football keen on awarding Robert Lewandowski with Ballon d’Or – Reports</a>

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James -- who is nearing retirement -- comes at the fourth spot&nbsp;at $128.2 million.&nbsp;Milwaukee Bucks'&nbsp;Giannis Antetokounmpo ($111 million) follows James at the fifth spot whereas France football captain&nbsp;Mbappe is&nbsp;sixth ($110 million) on the&nbsp;list.

Former PSG star Neymar is seventh ($108 million) and French striker Karim Benzema is a close eighth ($106 million). Both the star footballers recently moved to the Saudi Arabia. Neymar is part of Al-Hilal whereas Benzema joined Al-Ittihad last year.&nbsp;The duo&nbsp;are&nbsp;followed by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry ($102 million). Lamar Jackson is the only NFL player on the list&nbsp;at the tenth place ($100.5 million).

Thus, the top ten is filled with footballers -- especially those who have made a recent switch (with many moving to the Saudi).&nbsp;

For the fourth time in his career, Cristiano Ronaldo has topped the Forbes list of highest paid-athletes while Spanish golfer Jon Rahm moved to the second spot following his sensational switch to Saudi-backed LIV Golf recently.

For the fourth time in his career, Cristiano Ronaldo has topped the Forbes list of highest paid-athletes while Spanish golfer Jon Rahm moved to the second spot following his sensational switch to Saudi-backed LIV Golf recently. Ronaldo's arch-rival Lionel Messi is at the third position in the list whereas France superstar Kylian Mbappe dropped down to the sixth spot. Talking about the Portugal captain, Ronaldo became the world's highest-paid athlete after his switch from Manchester United to Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr in late 2022. Forbes claimed that the 39-year-old's estimated total earnings were $260 million approximately, an all-time high for a soccer player. Meanwhile, the veteran's off-field earnings were $60 million courtesy of sponsorship deals (where brands make the most of his whopping 629 million Instagram followers -- Ronaldo is the most-followed individual, sportsperson, footballer on the platform). MESSI AT THIRD, MBAPPE, LEBRON, NEYMAR MAKE TOP 10 Ronaldo's rival Messi sits at the third spot following a lucrative switch to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, helping the Argentine World Cup winner earn an unimaginable $135 million. The 36-year-old has earned $65 million in on-field earnings whereas he has added more off-field ($70 million) owing to deals with major sponsors such as Adidas and Apple. Also read: France Football keen on awarding Robert Lewandowski with Ballon d’Or – Reports Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James -- who is nearing retirement -- comes at the fourth spot at $128.2 million. Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo ($111 million) follows James at the fifth spot whereas France football captain Mbappe is sixth ($110 million) on the list. Former PSG star Neymar is seventh ($108 million) and French striker Karim Benzema is a close eighth ($106 million). Both the star footballers recently moved to the Saudi Arabia. Neymar is part of Al-Hilal whereas Benzema joined Al-Ittihad last year. The duo are followed by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry ($102 million). Lamar Jackson is the only NFL player on the list at the tenth place ($100.5 million). Thus, the top ten is filled with footballers -- especially those who have made a recent switch (with many moving to the Saudi).

Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes, arch-rival Lionel Messi third

With COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc across sports, paydays for world’s top-earning athletes dropped for the first time in four years, as per the latest 2020 Forbes rankings. Many sporting leagues and tournaments were postponed and suspended due to the dreaded virus which led to financial troubles for many teams and sporting federations.&nbsp;

The 100 highest-paid athletes for the last 12 months earned a combined $3.6 billion this year, which is around 9% less than what they had earned in 2019 and the first dip since 2016.&nbsp;

Tennis legend Roger Federer sits atop the standings for the first time, with $106 million of pre-tax earnings, as he pipped Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have dominated the first two spots in three of the last four years.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/growing-calls-for-anti-racism-protests-as-bayern-scent-bundesliga-title-303535" hreflang="en">Growing calls for anti-racism protests as Bayern scent Bundesliga title</a>

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Roger Federer is the world's highest-paid athlete for the first time, thanks to an endorsement portfolio that is unmatched among the world's celebrities <a href="https://t.co/SICoEXoEX0">https://t.co/SICoEXoEX0</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Celeb100?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Celeb100</a> <a href="https://t.co/hDsJtLHV83">pic.twitter.com/hDsJtLHV83</a>
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Federer becomes the ninth athlete to have bagged the top spot since 1990. The Swiss also becomes the first tennis player to sit at No. 1 after drawing more than $100 million off the court. Whereas Ronaldo earned $45 million while Messi swept in $32 million.&nbsp;

However, Ronaldo continues to set the record on and off the football pitch as the Portuguese stalwart became the first billionaire footballer in the world through his career earnings. Ronaldo is only the third sportsperson to hit the billion dollar-mark with Tiger Woods being the first (2009) and Floyd Mayweather the second (2017).

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Athletes from 21 countries across 10 sports made the cut this year with Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams included in the list. This is the first time more than one woman has made it into the rankings since 2016.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli is the only cricketer&nbsp;to feature in the list with an estimated total earnings of $26 million as the Indian cricket team’s skipper jumped over 30 places from 2019.&nbsp;

The factors that Forbes held were athletes’ revenue, including prize money, salaries, contract bonuses, endorsements, royalties and appearances fees from June 1, 2019, to June 1, 2020.

With COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc across sports, paydays for world’s top-earning athletes dropped for the first time in four years, as per the latest 2020 Forbes rankings.

With COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc across sports, paydays for world’s top-earning athletes dropped for the first time in four years, as per the latest 2020 Forbes rankings. Many sporting leagues and tournaments were postponed and suspended due to the dreaded virus which led to financial troubles for many teams and sporting federations. The 100 highest-paid athletes for the last 12 months earned a combined $3.6 billion this year, which is around 9% less than what they had earned in 2019 and the first dip since 2016. Tennis legend Roger Federer sits atop the standings for the first time, with $106 million of pre-tax earnings, as he pipped Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have dominated the first two spots in three of the last four years. ALSO READ: Growing calls for anti-racism protests as Bayern scent Bundesliga title Roger Federer is the world's highest-paid athlete for the first time, thanks to an endorsement portfolio that is unmatched among the world's celebrities https://t.co/SICoEXoEX0 #Celeb100 pic.twitter.com/hDsJtLHV83 — Forbes (@Forbes) June 5, 2020 × Federer becomes the ninth athlete to have bagged the top spot since 1990. The Swiss also becomes the first tennis player to sit at No. 1 after drawing more than $100 million off the court. Whereas Ronaldo earned $45 million while Messi swept in $32 million. However, Ronaldo continues to set the record on and off the football pitch as the Portuguese stalwart became the first billionaire footballer in the world through his career earnings. Ronaldo is only the third sportsperson to hit the billion dollar-mark with Tiger Woods being the first (2009) and Floyd Mayweather the second (2017). ALSO READ: All Black legend Carter in shock Super Rugby comeback Athletes from 21 countries across 10 sports made the cut this year with Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams included in the list. This is the first time more than one woman has made it into the rankings since 2016. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli is the only cricketer to feature in the list with an estimated total earnings of $26 million as the Indian cricket team’s skipper jumped over 30 places from 2019. The factors that Forbes held were athletes’ revenue, including prize money, salaries, contract bonuses, endorsements, royalties and appearances fees from June 1, 2019, to June 1, 2020.

Forbes highest-paid athletes: Roger Federer edges out Cristiano Ronaldo for top spot; Virat Kohli only cricketer in the list

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Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes, arch-rival Lionel Messi third

Forbes highest-paid athletes: Roger Federer edges out Cristiano Ronaldo for top spot; Virat Kohli only cricketer in the list