Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo leads Forbes top 20 richest sportsmen [See full list]

Popular American business magazine, Forbes has released the top 20 richest sportsmen in the world for 2017 with Real Madrid superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo leading the chart.

Ronaldo earned £70m in the last year, making him the highest paid European sports personality.


The 32-year-old missed out on the number one spot in celebrity rating by just £1m, being beaten into second place by Harry Potter author, JK Rowling in the top spot.
The figures, an estimate by Forbes, are calculated before taxes and management fees are taken into account.

Ronaldo’s earnings are largely made up of his Real Madrid contract and endorsement deals.

The highest paid English sports personality is Formula One racing driver, Lewis Hamilton – in 11th place on the list of European celebrities, earning £32m in the last year.

Half of the top 20 is made up of sports stars – with Wales and Real Madrid winger, Gareth Bale putting in an impressive display in 18th place, earning £25.5m.
He is actually joint-equal with Irish professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer, UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor.

And Nothern Irish professional golfer Rory McIroy beats Hamilton, in ninth place with £37m in the last year - making him the only sportsman from the UK in the Top 10.
Also featuring in the Top 20 from the sports world are Swiss tennis star - and World No.2 - Roger Federer in fifth place with £48m.

Also from Formula One, German driver Sebastian Vettel is in 14th place with £28.9m, narrowly beating tennis star Novak Djokovic from Serbia in 15th place with £28.3m.
Spanish driver Fernando Alonso is in 17th place earning £27 while Manchester United star Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic scrapes into 20th place with his £24m earnings in the last year.