Another sporting year has drawn to a close and 2024 promises to be even more memorable with the Paris Olympics and football’s European Championship among many highlights.
The world’s top athletes, meanwhile, simply continue to get richer and richer, coining in tens of millions both on and off the pitch, court, ring or course.
This was the year in which the influx of Saudi Arabian billions into football and golf really started to be noticed.
The Forbes highest-paid athletes list for 2023 certainly reflected this. With Saudi cash poured on top of rapidly-increasing league media rights and ever-more-lucrative commercial opportunities, they calculated the world’s top 10 saw their income rise 12 per cent from 2022’s list.
Collectively, they earned an estimated $1.11billion [about £860m] before tax and agents’ fees in the past 12 months – more than ever before.
But who was sport’s highest earner in 2023? We count down the top 10 here.
