Cristiano Ronaldo was only 18 when he joined Manchester United, so it was amazing when he re-joined the club from Juventus last summer.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t quite gone to plan with the Red Devils missing out on Champions League this season, but Ronaldo has still set high standards with by notching over 20 goals, despite being aged 37.
Earning a total of $115 million from his United contract and endorsements over the past 12 months, Ronaldo has been ranked 3rd in Forbes’ top 10 highest-paid athletes of 2022.
Basketball icon LeBron James came in second with $121.2 million, while Lionel Messi topped the list after pocketing £130 million in his first year at Paris Saint-Germain.
Ronaldo was always going to get a big salary to return to United, and he is one a few players who has performed this season, so I wouldn’t be taking such a big issue with this.
I have a bigger problem with the money Jesse Lingard earns every week to sit on the bench when young Dylan Levitt could join him on the free agents book this summer.
Top 10 highest-paid athletes in 2022
1. Lionel Messi: $130m
2. LeBron James: $121.2m
3. Cristiano Ronaldo: $115m
4. Neymar: $95m
5. Stephen Curry: $92.8m
6. Kevin Durant: $92.1m
7. Roger Federer: $90.7m
8. Canelo Alvarez: $90m
9. Tom Brady: $83.9m
10. Giannis Antetokounmpo: $80.9m
