Cristiano Ronaldo tops 'Forbes' Top 100 list of highest-paid athletes

Portuguese and Real Madrid star, Cristiano Ronaldo has been ranked at the world's highest paid athletes in 2017 by Forbes for the second straight year, earning $93 million in salary and endorsement income edging out basketball star LeBron James, who took home $86.2 million and Argentine star Lionel Messi, who received $80 million.

The title had been shared by either golfer Tiger Woods or boxer Floyd Mayweather for 15 straight years be Ronald's emergence.

Ronaldo who tops the list for the second consecutive season is estimated to have earned a total of $93 million between his soccer salary of $58 million and $35 million in endorsement income.


James was one of 32 NBA players who made the top 100 this year, up from 18 last year. There were 22 Major League Baseball players on the list, led by Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw  ($33.3 million) at No. 28. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was sixth on Forbes’ list with an estimated income of $50 million, tops among the 15 NFL players on the list.

Messi, whose FC Barcelona team is a rival to Real Madrid, is third on the list and earns $80 million.

Tennis' Roger Federer, who is considered one the game's greatest players, finished in fourth place with $64 million in pay and endorsement income.

Serena Williams was the lone woman on the list with an estimated income of $27 million -- $19 million of which came from endorsements -- to place her 51st overall.

Jimmie Johnson at No. 93 ($21.8 million) was among two NASCAR drivers to make the list. No NHL players made the cut.

Golf had four athletes on the list, including the oldest (No. 12 Phil Mickelson, 46, who earned an estimated $43.5 million) and youngest (No. 21 Jordan Spieth, 23, at $34.5 million) athletes.

Forbes used salary and bonus data along with the estimated value of endorsements between June 1, 2016, and June 1, 2017, to compose the list.  The minimum needed to qualify for the top 100 rose $600,000 to $12.4 million, the estimated total income for NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. who rounded out this year’s list.