Real Madrid star, 32-year-old, Cristiano Ronaldo retained his position at the top of Forbes magazine’s list of 100 highest-paid athletes 2017.
It’s the second straight year Ronaldo has topped the list, released on Wednesday just days after he spearheaded a 4-1 victory over Juventus that made Real Madrid the first team to retain the UEFA Champions League title.
The Portugal forward is estimated to have earned a total of $93 million between his football salary of $58 million and $35 million in endorsement income.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James moved up to second place on a list. James, with estimated earnings of $86.2 million, was one of 32 NBA players who made the top 100 — up from 18 last year.He took over second place from the Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, now third with $80 million.
Swiss tennis great Roger Federer ($64 million) and Golden State Warriors guard Kevin Durant ($60.6 million) rounded out the top five — just as they did last year.
Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam winner, was the only woman on the list with an estimated income of $27 million — $19 million of which came from endorsements — to place her 51st overall.
The Forbes figures include salaries, prize money and bonuses earned between June 1, 2016, and June 1, 2017. Endorsement incomes are an estimate of sponsorships, appearance fees and licensing incomes for the same 12-month period based on conversations with industry insiders.
