Cristiano Ronaldo has yet again achieved another milestone, leaving rival Lionel Messi behind. He has topped the Forbes list of highest-paid athletes for the third consecutive year and it is his fifth time overall.
Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of Lionel Messi in monetary race
The Portuguese star has increased his estimated total earnings by $15m to $275m. That figure has only been surpassed by former world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather, who earned $300m in 2015 and $275m in 2018 .
The 40-year-old moved to the lucrative Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr in December 2022 in a blockbuster deal. A significant bulk of his income is also generated through off-field endorsements and sponsorship deals backed by his social media followers, which currently total 939m.
The list also includes three NBA stars and an NFL quarterback. Golden State Warriors guard star Stephen Curry has moved up to occupy the second spot.
Curry, who became the first NBA player to reach 4,000 career three-pointers in March,registered an earning of $156m.
British boxer Tyson Fury moved up to third with $146m despite losing his world heavyweight titles to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in December. He was the beneficiary of a Netflix reality television show and a partnership with Maltese tourism.
Ronaldo’s long-standing rival Messi has fallen further behind the Portuguese after dropping from third to fifth.
After his move to the USA’s Major League Soccer (MLS), the Argentine has benefited from profile endorsements like Adidas and Apple.
Read More
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James was behind Messi, in sixth place with $133.8 million.
They are followed by MLB New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, French striker Karim Benzema, and Japanese Shohei Ohtani with NBA Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant completing the top 10 with $101.4 million.
Also Read: Lionel Messi breaks this record of Cristiano Ronaldo
Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2025
| Rank | Athlete | Sport | Total Earnings (USD) | Total Earnings (GBP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Football (Soccer) | $275 million | £206.6 million |
| 2 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | $156 million | £117.2 million |
| 3 | Tyson Fury | Boxing | $146 million | £109.7 million |
| 4 | Dak Prescott | American Football | $137 million | £103 million |
| 5 | Lionel Messi | Football (Soccer) | $135 million | £101.4 million |
| 6 | LeBron James | Basketball | $133.8 million | £105.5 million |
| 7 | Juan Soto | Baseball | $114 million | £85.7 million |
| 8 | Karim Benzema | Football (Soccer) | $104 million | £78.2 million |
| 9 | Shohei Ohtani | Baseball | $102.5 million | £77 million |
| 10 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | $101.4 million | £76.2 million |
