Sports is renowned for unifying people worldwide. Sports stars are also known to earn millions in salaries every year as a result of the popularity and finance pumped into the different sports by various corporations.
The question of who the richest sportsman in the world is gives a clear indication of just how much money is being made in the various sports across the world.
So who is the richest sportsman in the world?
According to Forbes’ World’s Highest Paid Athletes list for 2016, Spanish football team Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list for the first time, with earnings of $88 million. This was also the first time since 2000 that someone besides Floyd Mayweather or Tiger Woods has held the top spot.
The list also included 18 basketball players, 26 baseball players. 21 football players and 12 soccer players.
He also has his own clothing line called CR7 and has invested in properties worth over 30 million Euros.
Arguably considered the golden boy of the football world, Ronaldo is one of the biggest names in the game.
Born Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal the Portuguese football star was born on 5 February 1985. The 31-year-old Portuguese national also has 215 million followers on social media.
Awarded the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2008, he has also scored 195 goals out of 175 appearances for Real Madrid.
He won the FIFA Bailon dÓr in 2008 and 2013.
As the richest sportsman in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo made $32 million in endorsements.
Ronaldo is followed closely by diminutive Argentinian soccer wizard Lionel Messi, who earned a $53.4 million salary.
Basketball star LeBron James is third, earning $23.2 million, with fellow basketball player Kevin Durant making $20.2 million.