American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr named highest-paid athlete in the world

American pound-for-pound boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr has been named as the highest-paid athlete in the world by ESPN The Magazine.

The publication's annual rich list has placed the fighter, who is said to have pocketed around £161m from his win over Manny Pacquiao, at the top of the pile with a fortune of around £159m.

The highest-paid footballers on the list are Barcelona star Lionel Messi and his Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who are worth an estimated £36.2m and £32.3m respectively.

The two La Liga stars are third and fourth in the list behind Pacquiao, who is believed to have a fortune of around £96.6m, while Ferrari Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel is fifth in the standings on £32.2m.