Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes for 2025 after recording estimated earnings of $300 million across football income, endorsements and business deals.
The Portuguese forward secured first place for the fourth straight year in figures published by Forbes on Friday. Boxer Canelo Alvarez ranked second with $170 million, while Lionel Messi placed third with $140 million.
Forbes combined on-field earnings with off-field income, including sponsorships, appearances and commercial ventures.
LeBron James ranked fourth with $137.8 million after another lucrative year in Los Angeles. Baseball star Shohei Ohtani completed the top five with earnings of $127.6 million.
Patrick Mahomes placed 15th with $84.7 million, while boxer Jake Paul earned 23rd spot with $70 million. Tennis world number one Jannik Sinner occupied the final place in the top 50 with $54.6 million.
Forbes also reported a major rise in athlete earnings over recent years. The combined income of the top 50 athletes climbed from $2.6 billion in 2018 to more than $4 billion this year.
However, Forbes reported a slight drop from last year’s total figure. The magazine stated that the top 50 athletes earned an estimated $4.1 billion over the last 12 months before taxes and agent fees. That figure included $3 billion from salaries, bonuses and prize money, alongside $1.1 billion from endorsements, appearances, memorabilia and other business ventures.
Ronaldo’s position at the top underlines football’s continued commercial power, particularly for players with global sponsorship portfolios and large digital audiences.
