Cristiano Ronaldo topped the Forbes list for the third consecutive year and it is the fifth time in his career that he has done so, mainly thanks to his move to the Middle East with Al-Nassr, and according to the publication’s tally last year he generated earnings of around $275 million.
In addition, the Portuguese star increased his income by $15 million, thanks to his new sponsorships and his 939 million followers in total on social networks, until May
Despite the fortune that came with emigrating to Saudi Arabia, Cristiano still has yet to win a trophy with his club, although he is already in the final stages of his career
The highest-earning athletes in the world
Behind the Portuguese was the figure of NBA’s Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry, who in March became the first player in the league to reach 4,000 three-pointers in his career, and accumulated $156 million.
Meanwhile, in third place is former heavyweight champion, Britain’s Tyson Fury, with $146 million. His earnings come from his partnerships promoting Maltese tourism and his Netflix reality show. However, he lost his heavyweight belts to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in December
The fourth on the list is Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, with estimated earnings of $137 million, the result of record signing bonuses and a lucrative contract extension, which keeps him as the highest-paid athlete in the NFL.
The Argentine star Lionel Messi is in fifth place with $135 million, the same figure as last year, even though he holds high-profile endorsements from Adidas and Apple.
Sixth place goes to the Los Angeles Lakers veteran LeBron James, who is nearing the end of his illustrious career, with $134 million.
While the Dominican baseball player, Juan Soto, entered the list in seventh place with income of $114 million, after signing his $765 million contract for 15 years, the largest in MLB history with the New York Mets
Eighth place went to French striker Karim Benzema, who plays for Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, with earnings of $104 million.
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is in ninth place with $102.5 million, as he decided to defer most of his earnings from his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in MLB, boosted by his team’s World Series victory last year.
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: $275 million
- Stephen Curry: $156 million
- Tyson Fury: $146 million
- Dak Prescott: $137 million
- Lionel Messi: $135 million
- LeBron James: $133.8 million
- Juan Soto: $114 million
- Karim Benzema: $104 million
- Shohei Ohtani: $102.5 million
- Kevin Durant: $101.4 million
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