[Image: GoodFon]
For the third year running – and the fifth time overall, nogal – Cristiano Ronaldo has snagged the title of the world’s highest-paid athlete.
At the ripe old age of 40, the oke is still cashing cheques like he’s in his prime. Over the past 12 months, thanks to his Saudi salary at Al-Nassr and all the side hustles he’s got going, Ronaldo banked an estimated $275 million (R4.9 billion) before tax and agent cuts — that’s the third-biggest payday ever recorded by Forbes for an active athlete.
Not too shabby for someone who probably has a cryo chamber in his garage.
If you’re wondering who managed to out-earn this Portuguese powerhouse in the history books, look no further than Floyd “Money” Mayweather. He raked in $300 million (R5.3 billion) in 2015 and $285 million in 2018, presumably punching people and laughing all the way to the bank.
As for the 2025 earnings chart, Ronaldo isn’t just ahead, he’s laps ahead. The man is $119 million richer than his closest competition, Stephen Curry, who sits at No. 2 with $156 million. And get this: Curry’s number is an NBA record, smashing the previous high of $128.2 million set by LeBron James last year. Imagine breaking a record and still being nearly R2.2 billion behind the guy in front. Sies.
The big money isn’t just limited to the top two either. LeBron pulled a personal best of $133.8 million, enough to land him at No. 6 — proving that being 40-something doesn’t mean you’re done, especially if you’ve got a sneaker empire and a podcast or two. Meanwhile, Dak Prescott of the Cowboys (No. 4, $137 million) and Juan Soto from the Mets (No. 7, $114 million) each shattered earning records for the NFL and MLB, respectively. So yes, it pays to throw balls or hit them with sticks, apparently.
Altogether, the top 10 athletes made a jaw-dropping $1.4 billion, a slight bump from last year’s $1.38 billion and the fattest total Forbes has ever logged since they started tracking in 1990. It’s also just the second time, after 2024, that every person on the list took home at least $100 million. Imagine making $101 million and still being told, “Sorry, boet, you didn’t make the cut.” That’s exactly what happened to boxing champ Oleksandr Usyk and golfer Jon Rahm ($100 million each). Jirre.
Some okes didn’t even need to break a sweat to hit nine figures. Stephen Curry and baseball’s golden unicorn, Shohei Ohtani (No. 9, $102.5 million), each made around $100 million purely from off-field earnings – we’re talking endorsements, signing shirts, licensing fees, probably selling protein shakes too. Only three other athletes have ever done that while still competing: Conor McGregor ($158 million in 2021), Tiger Woods ($105 million in 2009), and Roger Federer ($100 million in 2020). Not bad company, hey?
Interestingly, neither Curry nor Ohtani have a link to Saudi Arabia, which, in this day and age, puts them in the minority when you’re talking about athletes in that income bracket. Since Saudi Arabia crash-landed into the sports world with LIV Golf, four of this year’s top 10 have ties to the kingdom. Tyson Fury (No. 3, $146 million) boxed Usyk twice in Riyadh. Lionel Messi (No. 5, $135 million) basically doubles as the kingdom’s tourist ambassador, with $75 million of that total coming from off-field deals. And Karim Benzema (No. 8, $104 million) plays full-time in Saudi for Al-Ittihad.
And then there’s Ronaldo, the crown jewel of Saudi sport. He’s been grinding it out in the Saudi Pro League for two and a half seasons now, reportedly earning a whopping $225 million on the pitch each year. Not too bad for kicking a ball in front of a half-full stadium in 40-degree heat.
Here is Forbes’ list of the world’s top 10 highest-paid athletes for 2025:
#1 – Cristiano Ronaldo with $275 million
Sport: Soccer
Age: 40
Nationality: Portugal
On-Field: $225 million
Off-Field: $50 million
#2 – Stephen Curry with $156 million
Sport: Basketball
Age: 37
Nationality: U.S.
On-Field: $56 million
Off-Field: $100 million
#3 – Tyson Fury with $146 million
Sport: Boxing
Age: 36
Nationality: U.K.
On-Field: $140 million
Off-Field: $6 million
#4 – Dak Prescott with $137 million
Sport: Football
Age: 31
Nationality: U.S.
On-Field: $127 million
Off-Field: $10 million
#5 – Lionel Messi with $135 million
Sport: Soccer
Age: 37
Nationality: Argentina
On-Field: $60 million
Off-Field: $75 million
#6 – LeBron James with $133.8 million
Sport: Basketball
Age: 40
Nationality: U.S.
On-Field: $48.8 million
Off-Field: $85 million
#7 – Juan Soto with $114 million
Sport: Baseball
Age: 26
Nationality: Dominican Republic
On-Field: $109 million
Off-Field: $5 million
#8 – Karim Benzema with $104 million
Sport: Soccer
Age: 37
Nationality: France
On-Field: $100 million
Off-Field: $4 million
#9 – Shohei Ohtani with $102.5 million
Sport: Baseball
Age: 30
Nationality: Japan
On-Field: $2.5 million
Off-Field: $100 million
#10 – Kevin Durant with $101.4 million
Sport: Basketball
Age: 36
Nationality: U.S.
On-Field: $51.4 million
Off-Field: $50 million
It’s wild to think how much the game has changed. When Ronaldo first topped this list back in 2016, he made $88 million. The following year? $93 million. Cute. Neither of those would even get you into the top 10 now – in fact, the sum of both still falls $94 million short of what he pulled in this year alone. That’s a glow-up if ever there was one.
And don’t count him out just yet. Word on the street is his Al-Nassr contract ends this summer, but there’s already talk of an extension, or maybe an even bigger money move. Who knows? Maybe Mars FC is hiring. If the cheque clears, he’ll be there.
[Source: Forbes]
