Ronaldo takes the title of highest-paid athlete in the world

Forbes magazine ranked Cristiano Ronaldo number one in 2016 with an income of $88 million.

In the list of highest-paid athletes in 2016, Lionel Messi ranked right after CR7 with $81.4 million. Basketball superstar LeBron James ranked third with $77.2 million.

Ronaldo is also the first footballer to top the Forbes list. In 2015, the top spot was held by boxer Floyd Mayweather.

"With Mayweather retiring and Tiger Woods (golf) suffering from injuries, the top spot has a new beginning. The one to fill the void is the biggest star in the biggest sport," Forbes commented on Ronaldo.

CR7 is making a lot of money without having to go to China like Tevez.

Of Ronaldo's total income of 88 million, the biggest contribution comes from his salary and bonuses worth about 56 million from Real Madrid Club. Advertising contracts and business activities bring in 32 million.

Ronaldo is also the second athlete from a team sport, after former basketball player Michael Jordan, to top Forbes' earnings list.

While Ronaldo and Messi occupy the top two spots, their peers are far behind. Neymar is in 21st place with earnings of £37.4 million, Ibrahimovic is in 23rd place, and Bale is in 25th place.

In addition to being the highest-paid athlete in the world, Ronaldo is also the top earner in terms of media value. According to Forbes, Ronaldo has approximately 215 million fans across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. In 2016, Ronaldo posted a total of 255 statuses, generating a media value of approximately $176 million.

According to VNE