Ronaldo highest-earning athlete in 2016 on Forbes Sports Money Index

Ronaldo highest-earning athlete in 2016 on Forbes Sports Money Index

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Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo was also the winner when it came to raking in the big bucks. The Portuguese and Real Madrid star topped the list of highest-earning athletes on Forbes Sports Money Index. The Dallas Cowboys were the most valuable sports team and Nike the No 1 sports brand.

Ronaldo earned a total of £70.5 million last year, £44.8 million of it as salaries from Portugal and Real Madrid.

In second place was his longtime rival and Argentine Lionel Messi. The Barcelona forward earned £65.2 million. NBA stars LeBron James (£61.8m) and Kevin Durant (£45m) were third and fourth on the list, with Australian Open champion Roger Federer (£54.3m) completing the top five.

Five sporting disciplines were represented in the top-10 of the rich list. Novak Djokovic, who became the first tennis player to complete $100 million in prize money, was 6th on the list. Cam Newton got American football on the list, while Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth represent golf. Retired LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant still earned enough to keep him in the top-10.  

On the list for most valuable sports teams, Mark Cuban's NFL team Dallas Cowboys secured the top spot with a net worth of £3.37 billion, with Spanish football rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona coming in second and third respectively. New England Patriots and Manchester United are other teams in the top 5.

Have a look at the complete list here.   

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