The Manchester United star has overtaken long-time rival Lionel Messi, who is now the second highest-paid footballer in the world, according to Forbes.
Both Ronaldo and Messi made big-money moves in the summer, with the former re-joining Manchester United while the latter moved to PSG.
In its latest list of top-earning footballers in 2021, Forbes noted that Ronaldo will earn $125 million (ÂŁ91.5m) before taxes this season, with $70m (ÂŁ51.25m) of that coming from his salary and bonuses.
Messi is also expected to earn $110m (ÂŁ80.5m), while Neymar is third with earnings of $95 million for the season.
The Brazilian superstar’s PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe is fourth with $43 million and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is fifth at $41 million.
The list of top 10 highest-earning footballers is completed by Robert Lewandowski, Andres Iniesta, Paul Pogba, Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard in that order.
Below is Forbes’ list of top 10 highest-paid footballers in the world in 2021:
Cristiano Ronaldo - $125 million
Lionel Messi – $110 million
Neymar - $95 million
Kylian Mbappe - $43 million
Mohamed Salah - $41 million
Robert Lewandowski - $35 million
Andres Iniesta – $35 million
Paul Pogba - $34 million
Gareth Bale - $32 million
Eden Hazard - $29 million