Lionel Messi Will Overtake Cristiano Ronaldo As World’s Highest Paid Athlete With Saudi Arabia Deal

230503051626 01 lionel messi psg 043023
230503051626 01 lionel messi psg 043023

Lionel Messi is set to become the world’s highest paid athlete after leaving PSG this summer and surpassing the current salary earned by Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr.

Messi’s father has reportedly told PSG the World Cup winner will not be returning to Paris next season and the club has suspended the player for two weeks after missing a training session without permission.

The 35-year-old is a tourism ambassador in Saudi Arabia and was fulfilling a commercial commitment. He will not be able to enter club facilities and miss two league matches against Troyes and Ajaccio.

The Parisiens are preparing for life without Messi, who has been hotly linked with a move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal – in the same league as Cristiano Ronaldo.

Al-Hilal have reportedly offered Messi a deal worth around £375m-a-year, which would put him back on top as the highest paid athlete in the world ahead of Ronaldo.

The player’s preferred option is said to be remaining in Europe, but the only realistic destination is Barcelona and financial issues may prevent this deal from happening.

World’s Highest Paid Athletes

By yearly salary according to Forbes:

  • Cristiano Ronaldo – £108m
  • Lionel Messi – £103m
  • Kylian Mbappe – £95m
  • LeBron James – £95m
  • Canelo Alvarez – £87m
  • Dustin Johnson – £85m
  • Phil Mickelson – £84m
  • Steph Curry – £79m
  • Roger Federer – £75m
  • Kevin Durant – £71m


RELATED: Ronaldo Vs Messi Net Worth: Which Football Superstar Has The Most Money?


Messi won the World Cup with Argentina in December and to many, firmly etched his name as the greatest footballer of all-time.

After another disappointing campaign with PSG in the Champions League, Messi is seeking a new challenge which could see him become the planet’s highest paid athlete.


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