JON RAHM has become the highest-paid athlete in the world after signing a £476MILLION contract with LIV Golf.

The deal will see the Spanish golfer earn more than the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Rahm, 29, had in the past insisted that he would not switch from the PGA Tour but has now gone back on his declaration of “fealty”.

He is the current world No.3 and the reigning Masters champion.

He has now picked up a contract three times as much as what LIV paid six-time Major champion Phil Mickelson 18 months ago.

LIV failed to tempt Tiger Woods with a £790m offer and Rory McIlroy rejected a £250m sweetener. 

And with a top prize of more than £3m on offer in each of LIV’s 14 events in 2024, Rahm could easily bank more than HALF A BILLION from his new employers by this time next year.

As a result of the deal with LIV, Rahm’s eligibility for the Ryder Cup will be questioned.

This would be a big blow for captain Luke Donald who is aiming to retain the title in New York in 2025.

Rahm’s earnings will dwarf that of sports’ elite athletes.

Football stars such as Ronaldo and Messi are both reported to have earned £136m and £130m respectively in the last year, according to Forbes.

Ronaldo signed a massive £173m-per-year contract with Al-Nassr after leaving Manchester United, less than half what Rahm is set to be paid.

Boxing star Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez’s earnings seem minuscule when compared to Rahm as he only pocketed £110m.

In 2022, Rahm claimed that his lifestyle would “not change” if he was given £317m,

He said: “Money is great, but when [wife] Kelley and I… this first thing happened, we started talking about it, and we’re like, will our lifestyle change if I got $400 million [£317m]?

“No, it will not change one bit.

“Truth be told, I could retire right now with what I’ve made and live a very happy life and not play golf again.

“So I’ve never really played the game of golf for monetary reasons.

“I play for the love of the game, and I want to play against the best in the world.

“I’ve always been interested in history and legacy, and right now the PGA Tour has that.”

He even distanced himself from LIV as little as three months ago as he said: “I laugh when people rumour me with LIV Golf.

“I never liked the format. My heart is with the PGA Tour.”

The timing of Rahm’s switch is a massive coup for Newcastle United chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

He is also in charge of the body that bankrolls LIV, the Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, who boast assets of around £200billion.

Al Rumayyan is due to meet Monahan next week to discuss the details of a potential merger with the PGA Tour, after they announced a shock peace deal six months ago.

That meeting is meant to fill in the blanks on the “framework agreement” the two sides announced in June – and Rahm’s arrival is a pointed reminder that LIV are not afraid to carry on splashing the cash to get what they want.