CRISTIANO RONALDO RANKED THIRD IN WORLD RICHEST ATHLETES LIST

Cristiano Ronaldo ranked No. 3 on this year's list. He has a lifetime deal with Nike and is behind the CR7 business of branded clothing, accessories, hotels and gyms 

Three other superstars also surpassed $100 million in total earnings this year: soccer stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and NFL quarterback Dak Prescott. Messi, whose off-the-pitch drama with FC Barcelona last summer was followed by media reports of the club’s dire financial state and the revelation  that his contract was worth $674 million.

It sets a record for soccer players with his 2021 total of $130 million. Prescott, with $107.5 million, breaks the record for NFL players thanks to a $66 million signing bonus from the Dallas Cowboys.

The four on this year’s list join only five other athletes—Federer, Mayweather, Neymar, Manny Pacquiao and Woods—to have made more than $100 million in a single year. Previously, the most $100 million earners to appear on one list was three, accomplished in 2018, 2019 and 2020.