Who was Forbes’ highest-paid athlete in 2017 before Floyd Mayweather’s return?

Cristiano Ronaldo was Forbes’ highest-paid athlete in 2017 before Floyd Mayweather’s return.

Forbes’ regular annual athlete ranking placed Cristiano Ronaldo first for the period before Mayweather’s exceptional boxing payday was counted. Ronaldo’s estimated earnings came from his Real Madrid salary, performance bonuses, sponsorships and licensing deals.

Ronaldo had won the Ballon d’Or in 2016 and helped Real Madrid win the UEFA Champions League in the 2016–17 season. His worldwide commercial profile made him one of the most valuable athletes for endorsements as well as competition income.

Mayweather’s 2017 total later became the year’s highest because his fight with Conor McGregor generated an unusually large payout. This distinction explains why some summaries list Ronaldo as Forbes’ top athlete for the standard ranking period while others identify Mayweather as the calendar-year leader. The answer depends on the exact Forbes list and measurement window.