• Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes' list of highest-paid athletes for the third year running.
• He has an estimated income of $275 million, boosted by social media endorsements.
• Stephen Curry and Tyson Fury round out the top three earners with $156 million and $146 million, respectively.
• Lionel Messi drops to fifth place with earnings of $135 million.
• Ronaldo's success reflects lucrative sponsorship deals and a significant social media following.

Cristiano Ronaldo has secured the top spot on Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes for the third consecutive year, marking the fifth time in his career that he has achieved this feat. Following his transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in December 2022, Ronaldo's estimated total earnings have surged to approximately $275 million, thanks in part to an increase of $15 million from off-field endorsements and sponsorship deals driven by his substantial social media following of 939 million, as of May 2023, according to Channel News Asia and Reuters, and BBC.

Following closely behind Ronaldo is Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who has earned $156 million and notably became the first NBA player to reach 4,000 career three-pointers in March 2023. This remarkable achievement has propelled him to second place on Forbes' list, according to Reuters and BBC.

Boxer Tyson Fury rounds out the top three with $146 million. Despite losing his world heavyweight titles to Oleksandr Usyk in December, Fury's earnings have been buoyed by a Netflix reality show and partnerships promoting Maltese tourism, as reported by Channel News Asia, Reuters, and BBC.

Further down the list, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott lands in fourth place with earnings of $137 million, while Lionel Messi now sits in fifth with $135 million. Messi's income has remained stable despite moving to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami and maintaining high-profile endorsements from Adidas and Apple, according to Reuters and BBC.