Cristiano Ronaldo has overtaken his longstanding rival Lionel Messi on Forbes 2020 rich list to become the highest-paid football player in the world, but he is not the top earning athlete across the globe.
Click through the gallery above to see the highest-paid footballers in 2020, including one African superstar, according to Forbes.
Forbes have released their annual rich list of the highest-paid athletes worldwide, but for the first time in four years no footballer sits at the top.
The American business magazine explains that footballers have already felt the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to several salary cuts.
For a first time since 2016, the top 100 athletes in the world of sport have earned less between them than in the previous year, with Forbes claiming there has been a 9% decline in comparison to 2019.
For a first time in his career, Roger Federer has climbed to the top of the rich list, with pre-tax earnings of $106 million (R1.86 billion) over the past year.
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The Swiss tennis star has beaten Ronaldo and Messi to the top spot, with the Juventus superstar sitting in second position with an overall income of $105 million (R1.84 billion), while the Argentine pocketed $104 million (R1.82 billion).
Even though Ronaldo and Messi earned a combined $209 million (R3.7 billion) over the past 12 months, their income reduced by a whopping $28 million (R491 million) compared to 2019 due to salary reductions.
Messi's basic salary is higher than Ronaldo's, with the FC Barcelona forward receiving an estimated $72 million (R1.26 billion) in annual wages and win bonuses and the Juve hitman pocketing $60 million (R1.05 billion) in salary and add-ons.
However, Ronaldo's massive endorsement deals with the likes of Nike, Altice, Herballife and his own CR7 brand saw him earn an additional $45 million (R789 million), while Messi received $32 million (R561 million) in sponsorship from Adidas, MasterCard and PepsiCo, among others.
Read: The 10 Richest Footballers In The World
Overall, athletes from 10 different sport codes made the final list, with 14 football players sitting on this year's top 100 - you can find all of them, including one African superstar, in the gallery above.
Note: Forbes' figures include all prize money, salaries and bonuses earned between 1 June 2019 and 1 June 2020.
Which other footballers did you expect on Forbes' latest rich list? Have your say in the comments section below!
