By Deborah Nnamdi
Cristiano Ronaldo, the Al-Nassr star forward, has claimed the top spot on Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes for the third straight year, further cementing his dominance in global sports.
Forbes estimates Ronaldo’s total earnings at $275 million (approximately £206 million), a $15 million increase from the previous year. Much of this boost comes from lucrative off-field ventures, including endorsements and sponsorship deals driven by his staggering 939 million social media followers.
This marks the fifth time in his career that Ronaldo has led the prestigious list.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry rose to second place with earnings of $156 million (around £117 million), while British boxer Tyson Fury climbed to third with $146 million (roughly £109 million), despite losing his heavyweight titles to Oleksandr Usyk last December. Fury’s income was bolstered by a Netflix reality show and a tourism campaign with Malta.
Lionel Messi dropped to fifth, despite his major endorsement deals with Adidas and Apple, following his move to Inter Miami. Los Angeles Lakers veteran LeBron James, nearing retirement, ranked sixth with $133.8 million.
Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes in 2025
Kevin Durant (Basketball) – $101.4M (£76.2M)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Football) – $275M (£206.6M)
Stephen Curry (Basketball) – $156M (£117.2M)
Tyson Fury (Boxing) – $146M (£109.7M)
Dak Prescott (American Football) – $137M (£103M)
Lionel Messi (Football) – $135M (£101.4M)
LeBron James (Basketball) – $133.8M (£105.5M)
Juan Soto (Baseball) – $114M (£85.7M)
Karim Benzema (Football) – $104M (£78.2M)
Shohei Ohtani (Baseball) – $102.5M (£77M)
