Ranked: The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes in 2025–26
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Key Takeaways
- Cristiano Ronaldo topped all athletes with an estimated $300 million in earnings, the only one above $200 million and roughly $130 million ahead of No. 2 Canelo Álvarez.
- Soccer and basketball each placed three athletes in the top 10, together accounting for six of the world’s highest-paid stars.
- Shohei Ohtani and LeBron James earned more off the field than on it in the 2025–26 season.
Elite sports earnings are increasingly concentrated among a small group of global superstars.
Across the 2025–26 season, the world’s 10 highest-paid athletes earned more than $1.4 billion combined from salaries, prize money, endorsements, appearance fees, licensing, and business ventures.
This visualization ranks the world’s 10 highest-paid athletes using data from Forbes, showing each athlete’s total earnings and how that income breaks down between on-field and off-field sources.
Cristiano Ronaldo Earned $300M in 2025–26
At the top of the ranking, Cristiano Ronaldo earned an estimated $300 million, making him the only athlete to clear $200 million for the season. The Portuguese forward banked $235 million on the field from his Saudi Pro League contract and another $65 million off it, putting him roughly $130 million ahead of any rival.
The data table below shows the 10 highest-paid athletes in the 2025–26 season, split into on- and off-field earnings, along with their sport and nationality:
| Rank | Athlete | Total Earnings ($M) | On-Field ($M) | Off-Field ($M) | Sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cristiano Ronaldo |
300.0 | 235.0 | 65.0 | Soccer |
| 2 |  Canelo Alvarez |
170.0 | 160.0 | 10.0 | Boxing |
| 3 |  Lionel Messi |
140.0 | 70.0 | 70.0 | Soccer |
| 4 |  LeBron James |
137.8 | 52.8 | 85.0 | Basketball |
| 5 |  Shohei Ohtani |
127.6 | 2.6 | 125.0 | Baseball |
| 6 | Stephen Curry |
124.7 | 59.7 | 65.0 | Basketball |
| 7 |  Jon Rahm |
107.0 | 97.0 | 10.0 | Golf |
| 8 |  Karim Benzema |
104.0 | 100.0 | 4.0 | Soccer |
| 9 | Kevin Durant |
103.8 | 54.8 | 49.0 | Basketball |
| 10 |  Lewis Hamilton |
100.0 | 70.0 | 30.0 | Formula 1 |
Boxing’s Canelo Álvarez ranked second at $170 million, almost all of it ($160 million) earned inside the ring. Lionel Messi rounded out the top three at $140 million, split evenly between on- and off-field income. Messi famously turned down a reported $1 billion offer from a Saudi soccer league in 2023, choosing instead to join Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
Soccer and Basketball Athletes Dominate the Top 10
Two sports account for the majority of the list. Soccer placed three names in the top 10 with Ronaldo, Messi, and Karim Benzema, and basketball matched it with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. The four remaining spots went to one athlete each from boxing, baseball, golf, and Formula 1.
By nationality, the United States led with three athletes, all from the NBA, ahead of a spread across Portugal, Mexico, Argentina, Japan, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom. Every athlete in the top 10 was male.
The mix of earnings varies sharply by sport. Soccer and basketball stars often combine large salaries with global endorsement portfolios, while athletes in sports like boxing and golf can rely much more heavily on prize money, purses, and competition-related income.
Shohei Ohtani’s Earnings Are Almost Entirely Off-Field
While most of these athletes earn the bulk of their money competing, two are striking exceptions. Shohei Ohtani took home an estimated $127.6 million, yet just $2.6 million of it, or about 2%, counted as on-field income.
That is because most of his record $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers is deferred and will not begin paying out until 2034, leaving endorsements to power his current earnings. LeBron James shows a similar tilt, with 62% of his $137.8 million coming from off-field deals.
At the other end of the spectrum, Karim Benzema (96%), Canelo Álvarez (94%), and Jon Rahm (91%) earned nearly everything from competition. Messi sat right in the middle, with a clean 50-50 split between salary and commercial income.
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