Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid athlete in the world for the fourth year in a row. According to the Forbes ranking released on Friday (22), the Al-Nassr player earned US$300 million (around R$1.5 billion) in 2025, between salary and sponsorships.
The value equals the record set by American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., recorded in 2015, and is the highest ever measured by Forbes since the list existed in 1990. It is also the sixth time that Ronaldo has topped the ranking — a number that puts him alongside Michael Jordan and behind only Tiger Woods, owner of 11 first places.
Together, the ten highest-paid athletes in the world accumulated US$1.4 billion in the last 12 months ending in December, more than double the amount recorded in 2016, when the Portuguese player topped the ranking for the first time. Of the total, US$902 million came from salaries and prizes within the competitions, and US$513 million from sponsorships and business outside of them.
Among the 50 highest-paid athletes in the world, there is no woman for the third year in a row. American tennis player Coco Gauff, the highest female salary in the sport in 2025, earned US$33 million, more than US$20 million below the minimum required to enter the list. The last woman to appear in the ranking was Serena Williams, in 2023, in 49th position, with US$45.3 million.
In the top 10, football and basketball tie as the sports with the highest number of representatives among the highest salaries. In the complete top 50, basketball leads with 20 names.
In addition to Ronaldo, the most popular sport in the world has Lionel Messi, from Inter Miami, in third ($140 million), and Karim Benzema, from Al-Hilal, in eighth ($104 million). The only Brazilian on the list is Vinicius Junior, from Real Madrid, in 34th place, with estimated earnings of US$60 million (R$300 million).
Basketball appears with LeBron James (4th, US$137.8 million), Stephen Curry (6th, US$124.7 million) and Kevin Durant (9th, US$103.8 million). In motorsport, Lewis Hamilton is the only name in the top 10, in tenth place, with US$100 million.
See the 10 highest paid athletes in the world in 2026
- Cristiano Ronaldo (football) — US$300 million (R$1.5 billion)
- Canelo Álvarez (boxing) — US$170 million (R$850 million)
- Lionel Messi (football) — US$140 million (R$700 million)
- LeBron James (basketball) — US$137.8 million (R$689 million)
- Shohei Ohtani (baseball) — US$127.6 million (R$638 million)
- Stephen Curry (basketball) — US$124.7 million (R$623.5 million)
- Jon Rahm (golf) — US$107 million (R$535 million)
- Karim Benzema (football) — US$104 million (R$520 million)
- Kevin Durant (basketball) — US$103.8 million (R$519 million)
- Lewis Hamilton (motorsport) — US$100 million (R$500 million)
