Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi have both made the top 10 of Forbes magazine’s list of highest earning athletes of 2013.
The Spanish League duo are alongside former Madrid man David Beckham as football’s representatives in the annual list’s top 10 positions.
Topped by Tiger Woods, the list ranks professional athletes’ earnings through salary, bonuses and advertising revenue and has ranked Beckham in eight, Ronaldo in ninth for the second year in a row, and Messi up a place from 2012 to 10th.
Ronaldo is set at having earned a total of €33.5m over the last 12 months, with €17.5m of that based on salary and bonuses and the remaining €16m on endorsement contracts.
Messi sits just behind on a total earning of €31.4m, with €15.2m in wage and bonuses payments and €14.5m in advertising income.
Forbes highest earning athletes 2013
1 Tiger Woods, €59.5m
2 Roger Federer, €54.4m
3 Kobe Bryant, €47.1m
4 LeBron James, €45.5m
5 Drew Brees, €38.8m
6 Aaron Rodgers, €37.3m
7 Phil Mickelson, €37.1m
8 David Beckham, €35.9m
9 Cristiano Ronaldo, €33.5m
10 Lionel Messi €31.4m
