Ronaldo sets a Guinness World Record! The world's No. 1 annual revenue of 136 million, surpassing Messi Mbappe

On Friday, Guinness World Records announced that Ronaldo was the highest-paid athlete of the year in 2023 with $136 million, with Messi in second place and Mbappe in third place.

In the 12 months to May 1, 2023, Ronaldo's revenue was estimated at $136 million, or approximately £107.5 million. This includes $46 million in on-market revenue and $90 million in off-market revenue.

This allows Ronaldo to take the place of Messi, who became the world's highest-paid athlete with $130 million in 2022. This is the first time Ronaldo has topped the athlete earnings charts since 2017 and the third time in his career.

After ending his contract with Manchester United, Ronaldo moved to Riyadh Victory, where his annual salary nearly doubled to $75 million. However, Ronaldo earned more off the court, earning $90 million off the court through a lifetime contract with Nike and the CR7 brand he created.

It is worth mentioning that in the away match between Portugal and Iceland in June, Cristiano Ronaldo, who made his 200th appearance for the national team, also set a Guinness World Record, becoming the first footballer in the world to make 200 appearances for the national team.

In addition to Ronaldo, the 2nd and 3rd places in the athlete income ranking in 2023 are Messi ($130 million) and Mbappe ($120 million). Among them, Messi has 65 million on-court and off-field revenue, while Mbappe's off-field income is only $20 million. LeBron James is fourth with 119 million and Carneiro Alvarez is fifth with 110 million.