Cristiano Ronaldo Tops the List of Highest-Paid Athletes for the Third Consecutive Year
Cristiano Ronaldo, the soccer superstar, tops Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes for the third consecutive year and for the fifth time in his career.
Following his move to the Al Nassr club in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo’s estimated total earnings are around $275 million.
The Portuguese forward increased his earnings by 15 million dollars thanks to off-field sponsorships and lucrative endorsement deals backed by his large social media following, which totals 939 million as of May.
Despite the financial boom, Ronaldo’s move to the Saudi Professional League has not yet brought him any major titles, unlike the numerous trophies he won at Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who in March became the first NBA player to reach 4,000 three-pointers in his career, rose to second place in the ranking with $156 million.
Boxer Tyson Fury ranked third with $146 million. Despite losing his heavyweight world titles to Oleksandr Usyk in December, Fury’s earnings have been boosted by partnerships promoting Maltese tourism and his reality show on Netflix.
Dak Prescott, quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, reached fourth place with 137 million dollars, thanks to record signing bonuses and a lucrative contract extension.
Meanwhile, Argentine Lionel Messi dropped to fifth place with $135 million, the same amount as last year, after his move to Inter Miami CF of the MLS and continuing to receive high-profile sponsorships from Adidas and Apple.
LeBron James, forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, nearing the end of his illustrious career, ranked sixth with $133.8 million.
Juan Soto, outfielder for the New York Mets of the MLB, ranked a notable seventh, earning $114 million. The 26-year-old Dominican signed a 15-year, $765 million contract, the largest in baseball history.
Karim Benzema, forward from France who plays for Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia, is eighth with earnings of 104 million dollars.
Shohei Ohtani, from Japan, ranks ninth with $102.5 million, after deferring most of his earnings from his mega-contract with the MLB team Los Angeles Dodgers. His income was significantly boosted by the Dodgers’ victory in last year’s World Series.
NBA star Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns rounds out the top 10 with $101.4 million.
The 10 Highest-Paid Athletes in the World in 2025
- Cristiano Ronaldo, soccer: $275 million
- Stephen Curry, basketball: $156 million
- Tyson Fury, boxing: $146 million
- Dak Prescott, American football: $137 million
- Lionel Messi, soccer: $135 million
- LeBron James, basketball: $133.8 million
- Juan Soto, baseball: $114 million
- Karim Benzema, soccer: $104 million
- Shohei Ohtani, baseball: $102.5 million
- Kevin Durant, basketball: $101.4 million
