Who Is the Highest-Paid Athlete Per Year
The highest-paid athlete per year is Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese soccer star, who earned an estimated $275 million in total annual income, according to the latest Forbes ranking of the world's highest-paid athletes. His earnings combine his record-breaking contract with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia and a large portfolio of endorsement deals and business investments. The Forbes 2025 list, which covers the most recent 12-month period, places Ronaldo well ahead of the rest of the field, highlighting the rapid growth of high-value contracts in the Saudi Pro League and the global reach of top soccer stars.
Ronaldo's salary from Al Nassr is believed to be the single largest annual payout in professional sports history, with reports indicating a contract worth more than $200 million per season. This is supplemented by hundreds of millions in off-field income from brands such as Nike, Herbalife, and CR7, as well as ownership stakes in companies and media ventures. His total income has pushed him to the top of the Forbes list for multiple consecutive years, reshaping the conversation about athlete compensation and the financial power of leagues outside the traditional big five in Europe.
How the Forbes Athlete Rankings Work
The Forbes ranking calculates earnings before taxes and agent fees, combining salary and winnings with estimated income from endorsements and business activities during a specific 12-month window. The methodology draws on data from contracts, league filings, sponsor deals, and interviews with agents, managers, and industry experts, and it is reviewed to reflect the most current public information available. Forbes updates the list annually and publishes the full breakdown on its website, where readers can explore the detailed calculations behind each athlete's total.
The list uses a standardized formula so that comparisons across different sports, countries, and leagues are possible, and it includes both active salaries and projected income from multiyear deals. For the latest edition, Forbes analyzed earnings from June 2024 to June 2025, capturing the impact of new contracts signed during the summer transfer window and the ongoing revenue from existing sponsorship portfolios. The methodology is explained in detail in the Forbes article on the ranking, which also provides context about how Saudi Arabia's investment in sports has influenced the overall earnings landscape.
Top Earners and Key Figures in the Ranking
After Ronaldo, the next highest-paid athletes on the Forbes list include Lionel Messi, who continues to earn a substantial income from his move to MLS side Inter Miami and his global brand partnerships, and Cristiano Ronaldo's closest competitors from basketball, American football, and tennis. The top five typically feature a mix of soccer, basketball, and American football stars, reflecting the global revenue streams of the NBA, NFL, and major international soccer leagues. The gap between the top earner and the rest has widened in recent years, driven by Ronaldo's Saudi contract and the continued expansion of media rights and sponsorship money in soccer.
The financial scale of these earnings is visible in the structure of the deals themselves, with multiyear contracts now routinely including guaranteed payments, performance bonuses, and equity stakes in clubs and ventures. For example, the details of Ronaldo's Al Nassr agreement have been covered by multiple outlets, including reports on the contract structure and its impact on the Saudi league's global profile, as discussed in the Forbes feature on the highest-paid athletes. Similarly, the business side of leagues and sponsorships is increasingly documented by financial and regulatory sources, including filings and reports accessible through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website, which provides public information on companies involved in sports marketing and athlete representation.
Key Takeaways
The current top earner is Cristiano Ronaldo, whose combination of a massive Saudi league salary and a global endorsement portfolio sets a new benchmark for athlete income. The Forbes ranking provides a clear, data-driven view of who earns the most, and it