Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player in the Spanish league that appears in the list of the top ten most valuable athletes, which was put together by Forbes magazine. Real Madrid's Portuguese player is in ninth spot, valued at €8.6 million ($11 million).

Tiger Woods still sits at the top of the pile, ahead of tennis player Roger Federer. Another golfer, Phil Mickelson, is equal third with David Beckham and LeBron James. Sitting just behind them are Kobe Bryant and Usain Bolt.

The top ten also includes two cricket players. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is eighth, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, and the list is closed out by Sachin Tendulkar.

Forbes also published the list of the highest valued clubs in world sport. Real Madrid is in third place behind the New York Yankees and Manchester United. The American magazine values 'Los Blancos' at almost €200 million.

The team behind Madrid is the Dallas Cowboys (NFL), followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB), Bayern Munich, the Boston Red Sox (MLB) and the New England Patriots (NFL). 'Fútbol Club Barcelona' is in ninth spot, with an approximate value of €138 million ($176 million), whilst Arsenal closes out the list in tenth spot.