For the third-year running, Ronaldo is the highest paid athlete in the world. The Real Madrid legend earned $275 million, over $100 million more than second-place Stephen Curry made in 2025. Ronaldo's on-field earnings amounted to $225 million while his off-field earnings amounted to $50 million, per Forbes.

Cristiano Ronaldo once again claimed the top spot on Forbes’ annual list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, for the third consecutive year and the fifth time in his career. According to Forbes, the Portuguese football icon earned an estimated USD275 million over the past year.

Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes’ 2025 highest-paid athletes list with $275M, ahead of Tyson Fury and Stephen Curry, while Lionel Messi drops to fifth place