Top 10 World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2025 – Ronaldo leads the List
Renowned Football star Christiano Ronaldo sustains his title as the Highest-Paid Athlete for the fifth time in a row as he puts a great difference between himself and Steph Curry, the second highest and the most paid in his sport. The 40-year old Portuguese Footballer is no stranger to the world of sports whose outstanding years have amassed quite a fortune and wealth for himself.
These Top athletes, each some of the best in the world and in their own respective fields and 2025 is also the first time where all the Top 10 Highest Paid athletes have earned more than $100 Million. Here are the Top 10 athletes apart from breaking and making records, are ranked on their earnings by Forbes.
Top 10 World’s Highest-Paid Athletes in 2025
| Rank | Name | Sport | Nationality | Total Earnings (USD) | On-Field Earnings | Off-Field Earnings |
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Soccer | Portugal | $275 million | $225 million | $50 million |
| 2 | Stephen Curry | Basketball (NBA) | United States | $156 million | $56 million | $100 million |
| 3 | Tyson Fury | Boxing | United Kingdom | $146 million | $140 million | $6 million |
| 4 | Dak Prescott | American Football | United States | $137 million | $127 million | $10 million |
| 5 | Lionel Messi | Soccer | Argentina | $135 million | $60 million | $75 million |
| 6 | LeBron James | Basketball (NBA) | United States | $133.8 million | $48.8 million | $85 million |
| 7 | Juan Soto | Baseball (MLB) | Dominican Republic | $114 million | $109 million | $5 million |
| 8 | Karim Benzema | Soccer | France | $104 million | $100 million | $4 million |
| 9 | Shohei Ohtani | Baseball (MLB) | Japan | $102.5 million | $2.5 million | $100 million |
| 10 | Kevin Durant | Basketball (NBA) | United States | $101.4 million | $51.4 million | $50 million |
