Another year; same outcome – football legend Cristiano Ronaldo tops the ‘Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete List’.
The former Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Juventus forward beat NBA star Stephen Curry (second) and boxing great Tyson Fury (third) this time around.
The 40-year-old tops Forbes’ much-anticipated list for the fifth time, taking his total earnings to $275m (up by $15m).
Ronaldo is the first footballer to ever earn such high numbers. In the sporting world, only retired boxing legend Floyd Mayweather has done something better in terms of making great sums.
Mayweather made $300m in 2015 and $275m in 2018. Ronaldo’s massive earnings growth is coming from the cash-rich Saudi Pro League, where he represents Al Nassr.
The three-time Premier League winner moved to Al Nassr in December 2022, leaving England’s Man United.
The move to the Middle East has made his overall income from endorsements, social media and sponsorship better.
Ronaldo’s long-time rival Lionel Messi, who played for Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer, holds the fifth position with $135m.
The SPL’s impact can be seen in Karim Benzema’s earnings, too, with making massive $104m. CR7’s former Real teammate plays for Al-Ittihad.
Forbes Highest-Paid Athlete List – Top 10
| Player | Sport | Earning (USD) |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Football | $275m |
| Stephen Curry | Basketball | $156m |
| Tyson Fury | Boxing | $146m |
| Dak Prescott | NFL | $137m |
| Lionel Messi | Football | $135m |
| LeBron James | Basketball | $133.8m |
| Juan Soto | Baseball | $114m |
| Karim Benzema | Football | $104m |
| Shohei Ohtani | Baseball | $102.5m |
| Kevin Durant | Basketball | $101.4m |
Football (soccer) and basketball are the only two sports where three players have made the top 10 list. The amazing point to note is that all of the top 10 sports stars have made more than $100 million.
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