Forbes’ Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes: Saudi Arabia and Qatari funded sports projects dominate the list with Jon Rahm overtaking Lionel Messi
The Forbes list involving the highest paid athletes always makes for interesting reading. As Cristiano Ronaldo made the move to the Saudi Pro League shocking the footballing world, how does he fair on the list and who also makes the top ten?
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00:00 Cristiano Ronaldo has topped the Forbes list of highest paid athletes for the fourth time
00:06 in his career, with John Rahm moving up to second.
00:10 Ronaldo also headed the list last year following his move to Saudi Arabian football club Al
00:15 Masur, earning £205 million.
00:19 Footballers Neymar and Karim Benzema have also entered the top ten after moves to the
00:24 Saudi Pro League.
00:26 There is no secret about the Middle East's grip on the world of sport, and this list
00:30 puts that to the full front.
00:33 Four of the top ten athletes are involved with Saudi-funded leagues and organisations,
00:38 whilst out of the remaining six, five are American-funded and one in France with Kylian
00:43 Mbappe's PSG deal.
00:46 According to Forbes, the world's ten highest paid athletes collectively earned just over
00:50 £1 billion before taxes and agents' fees over the past 12 months, which is the highest
00:57 total ever recorded.