Online Reporter
CRISTIANO RONALDO has been crowned the world’s highest-paid sports star for a fourth year running.
But only two other footballers joined him in the top ten.Ronaldo, 41, has topped Forbes’ rankings six times in the last 11 years now.
And he remains unbeatable since surpassing Lionel Messi in 2023.The latest figures show Ronaldo earned a staggering $300million — £223m — over the last 12 months before taxes and agents’ fees.That equals the previous record set by Floyd Mayweather Jr when he bagged $300m in 2015 – although with inflation, that would be £317m in today’s money. Of Ronaldo’s mammoth total, £175m comes from his staggering Al-Nassr contract, with a further £48m in endorsements, sponsorships and other business ventures such as his various brands.
The £223m is also a £19m increase from his 2025 tally.Second on the 2026 list, £97m behind on £126m, is Canelo Alvarez.
The Mexican boxer’s money was almost entirely made inside the ring, beating William Scull last May before losing to Terence Crawford in September.Ronaldo’s great rival Messi completes the podium with £104m —a 50-50 split between on-field and off-field earnings for the Inter Miami and Argentina icon.
Messi pipped NBA legend LeBron James (£103m) while baseball’s Shohei Ohtani claimed fifth.Just £2m of his £95m came on the MLB field and the rest came from his long list of sponsorships.Steph Curry took sixth (£93m) from Jon Rahm (£80m).The Spaniard’s mega money almost exclusively came from his eye-watering LIV Golf deal.Ronaldo’s ex-Real Madrid pal Karim Benzema is the third footballer.
Like the Portuguese idol, Benzema accepted the lucrative cash offer from Saudi Arabia and earned £77m over the last year.
That was fractionally more than another basketballer, Kevin Durant, while F1’s Lewis Hamilton completed the top ten on £74m — hitting $100m for the first time in his career following his switch to Ferrari.It means the average age of the top ten is 37 —the oldest in Forbes history —with three (Ronaldo, James and Hamilton) all aged 41.Other entries of note lower down the list include Kylian Mbappe (12th, £71m), Patrick Mahomes (15th, £63m) Erling Haaland (19th, £60m), Rory McIlroy (20th, £57m), Jake Paul (23rd, £52m) and Carlos Alcaraz (32nd, £46m).
Alcaraz’s main rival at the top of tennis, Jannik Sinner, completed the top 50 on £41m.
But that meant no women made the list.
The most-recent top-paid female star —another tennis ace, Coco Gauff— made £25m in the 2025 report . — Sun.
