Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes highest paid athlete list again with $300 million earnings, Lionel Messi and NBA stars LeBron James and Stephen Curry follow behind

Cristiano Ronaldo has once again become the world’s highest-paid athlete. The latest Forbes rankings placed the Portuguese football icon at the top after he earned an estimated $300 million over the last year. His huge salary at Al-Nassr has helped him stay ahead of every other athlete in global sport. This is now the fourth straight year Ronaldo has led the Forbes list and the sixth time overall in his career.

The new rankings also showed the growing financial power of Saudi Arabia in global sport. Several athletes on the list are linked to Saudi-backed deals or leagues. Lionel Messi stayed among the top three earners with $140 million, while boxer Canelo Álvarez climbed to second place with $170 million. Big names from basketball, golf, baseball, and Formula 1 also crossed the $100 million mark during the last twelve months.

Saudi-backed deals continue to reshape global sports earnings

Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia has been revolutionary in football’s financial landscape. Forbes estimated that the Portuguese superstar earned around $235 million from his playing contract alone at Al-Nassr. His commercial partnerships and endorsements added even more to his yearly income. The 41-year-old has now matched basketball legend Michael Jordan. They have had six appearances at the top of the Forbes earnings rankings.

Lionel Messi remained one of the biggest names in world sport despite dropping to third place. The Argentine forward reportedly earned close to an equal amount from football and sponsorship deals. Canelo Álvarez separated the two football icons after signing major boxing agreements connected to Riyadh Season events in Saudi Arabia.

The rankings also highlighted strong earnings outside football. LeBron James earned $137.8 million, while baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani made $127.6 million. Most of Ohtani’s income came from endorsement deals with major international and Japanese companies. Stephen Curry, golfer Jon Rahm, Karim Benzema, Kevin Durant, and Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton completed the top 10 list.



Saudi Arabia’s financial influence was visible throughout the rankings. Rahm’s earnings came partly from LIV Golf, while Benzema and Ronaldo continue to benefit from massive Saudi Pro League contracts. The report also showed that experience still matters in elite sport. The average age of the top 10 athletes reached 37 years, making it one of the oldest groups ever featured in the Forbes rankings.




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