Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo had to settle for being the second highest paid athlete of 2019 with rival Lionel Messi scooping the accolade.
Messi, Ronaldo and Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar made up the top three, with boxer Cancelo Alvarez in fourth and tennis great Roger Federer in fifth.
According to Forbes, Ronaldo earnt a total of $109 million this past year ($65 million in wages and earnings, and $44 million in endorsements) which was $18 million less than his Barcelona counterpart, who earnt a whopping $92 million in wages and earnings, and $35 million in endorsements.
Comparatively, last year, Messi was second in the list with a total earning of around $111 million whereas Ronaldo was in third earning $108 million.
Their earnings were dwarfed by that of the highest paid athlete in 2018, Floyd Mayweather, who earnt a humongous $285 million.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com