Christiano Ronaldo has decided to continue leading Saudi Arabia’s ambitious push into global football by renewing its contract with Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr until June 2027. That role again brings an income puts him at the top of the list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, creating a significant gap with his long-time rival Lionel Messi.
Sportya leading sports outlet, has released its annual ranking of the 100 highest paid athletes in the world, taking into account salaries, prize money and endorsements. Just like in the 2024 edition, the Al-Nassr star sits comfortably at number 1 and stands out from the rest of the field.
According to Sporty, Cristiano Ronaldo earned $200 million in salary and winnings, along with another $60 million in endorsements, for a total of $260 million. The figure is in line with its earnings from last year, with the outlet noting that “Salaries listed reflect the weighted averages of the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons‘in football and basketball.
Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index reported last October that Ronaldo officially joined the billionaire athletes’ clubbecoming the first footballer to do so. With an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion, the Al-Nassr star has reached a financial level previously occupied by icons like Michael Jordan and Roger Federer.
Cristiano Ronaldo from Al Nassr.
Where does Lionel Messi rank on the list of highest-paid athletes?
As the face of Inter Miami and Major League Soccer, Lionel Messi is benefiting from a unique series of deals with both the club and the league. However, his earnings remain well below Ronaldo’s total and were not enough to secure second place in the rankings.
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Messi is in third place Sporty‘s list, and earned $60 million in salary and profits and $70 million through endorsements, for a total of $130 million. He was narrowly knocked out for second place by a boxer Canelo Alvarezwhich grossed a total of $137 million after high-profile fights against William Scull and Terence Crawford.
The other football players on the rankings
Athletes from basketball, baseball, boxing, golf and football populate it Sporty‘s top 100, but football continues to play a prominent role in all competitions around the world. From Saudi Arabia and MLS to Europe and South Americathe sport has a wide range of top earners.
The football players included in the top 100, ranked by overall rank and total earnings, are as follows:
- 1st. Christiano Ronaldo – Al-Nassr: $260 million
- 3rd. Lionel Messi – Inter Miami CF: $130 million
- 6th. Karim Benzema – Al-Ittihad: $115 million
- 12th. Kylian Mbappe – Real Madrid: $95 million
- 18th. Erling Haaland – Manchester City: $77.9 million
- 30th. Neymar – Santos: $60 million
- 34th. Vinicius Junior – Real Madrid: $58 million
- 43rd. Muhammad Salah – Liverpool: $54 million
- 45th. Riyadh Mahrez – Al-Ahli: $53.5 million
- 52nd. Sadio Mane – Al-Nassr: $50 million
- 75th. Harry Kane – Bayern Munich: $43.3 million
- 86th. Judas Bellingham – Real Madrid: $39.5 million
- 96 hours. Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona: $38 million
Top 10 Highest Paid Athletes
The top 10 contains a varied mix of stars from football, boxing, baseball, basketball and golf. Below you will find the full overview, including salary or winnings, recommendations and total earnings.
- Christiano Ronaldo (football, Al-Nassr): $200 million / $60 million / $260 million
- Canelo Alvarez (boxing): $125 million / $12 million / $137 million
- Lionel Messi (soccer, Inter Miami CF): $60 million / $70 million / $130 million
- Juan Soto (baseball, New York Mets): $122.2 million / $7 million / $129.2 million
- Le Bron James (basketball, Los Angeles Lakers): $48.7 million / $80 million / $128.7 million
- Karim Benzema (football, Al-Ittihad): $110 million / $5 million / $115 million
- Stefan Curry (basketball, Golden State Warriors): $55.4 million / $50 million / $105.4 million
- Shohei Ohtani (baseball, Los Angeles Dodgers): $2.5 million / $100 million / $102.5 million
- Kevin Durant (basketball, Houston Rockets): $50.8 million / $50 million / $100.8 million
- Jon Rahm (wave): $84.7 million / $16 million / $100.7 million
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