Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes 2016's highest-paid sportsman

Real Madrid and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has been named as the world's highest earning athlete for the first time, becoming only the second individual from a team sport to top the Forbes rankings since it began in 1990.

Ronaldo, 32 earned $88 million in 2016, to top the list ahead of closest rival Barcelona's Lionel Messi in second place with $81m and NBA star LeBron James in third with $77m.

According to Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes who introduced the research, Ronaldo had overtaken boxer Floyd Mayweather and golfer Tiger Woods at the top to become the first footballer ever to be named the highest earning athlete across all sport.

"With Mayweather hanging up his gloves and Woods hampered by injuries, there is an opening at the top. Filling the gap is the biggest star in the biggest sport on the planet," Badenhausen wrote.

"This year, soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's highest-paid athlete, with earnings of $88m over the past 12 months from salary, bonuses and endorsements. Ronaldo is only the second team athlete after Michael Jordan to rank as the top-paid since Forbes began tracking athlete earnings in 1990."

According to Forbes, Ronaldo's total income rose marginally in 2016, up to $88m from $80m the year before. 

However, the retirement of boxers Mayweather ($300m in 2015) and Manny Pacquiao ($160m in 2015) helped him to take over at the head of the list.

Other footballers at the top of the rankings includes Barcelona star Neymar in 21st place with ($37.5m), Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic at 23 with ($37.4m), Madrid's Gareth Bale at 25 ($35.9m) with and Wayne Rooney of United at 49 with ($26.1m).

ESPN