The World's Highest-Paid Athletes (2026)
Forbes' 2026 ranking puts Ronaldo first at $300 million — his sixth time on top, more than double any other footballer, and $130 million clear of the nearest athlete in any sport.
By Zadhid Powell, Founder & EditorLast updated 5 August 2026 · Sourced public estimates
The Forbes 2026 top ten
Total earnings — salary or prize money plus endorsements — for the twelve months Forbes measured.
| Rank | Athlete | Sport | 2026 earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Football | $300M |
| 2 | Canelo Álvarez | Boxing | $170M |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Football | $140M |
| 4 | LeBron James | Basketball | $137.8M |
| 5 | Shohei Ohtani | Baseball | $127.6M |
| 6 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | $124.7M |
| 7 | Jon Rahm | Golf | $107M |
| 8 | Karim Benzema | Football | $104M |
| 9 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | $103.8M |
| 10 | Lewis Hamilton | Formula 1 | $100M |
- Athlete
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Sport
- Football
- 2026 earnings
- $300M
- Athlete
- Canelo Álvarez
- Sport
- Boxing
- 2026 earnings
- $170M
- Athlete
- Lionel Messi
- Sport
- Football
- 2026 earnings
- $140M
- Athlete
- LeBron James
- Sport
- Basketball
- 2026 earnings
- $137.8M
- Athlete
- Shohei Ohtani
- Sport
- Baseball
- 2026 earnings
- $127.6M
- Athlete
- Stephen Curry
- Sport
- Basketball
- 2026 earnings
- $124.7M
- Athlete
- Jon Rahm
- Sport
- Golf
- 2026 earnings
- $107M
- Athlete
- Karim Benzema
- Sport
- Football
- 2026 earnings
- $104M
- Athlete
- Kevin Durant
- Sport
- Basketball
- 2026 earnings
- $103.8M
- Athlete
- Lewis Hamilton
- Sport
- Formula 1
- 2026 earnings
- $100M
What the list actually shows
Three things stand out. First, football now supplies three of the world's ten best-paid athletes — and two of the three earn their club salaries in Saudi Arabia, where the absence of income tax makes every headline figure a take-home figure. Second, the top of the list is no longer decided by endorsements: Ronaldo's ~$65 million off-field income is large, but it is the ~$235 million on-field component that separates him from everyone else. Third, longevity pays — he is topping the list at 41, an age at which no previous footballer was even ranked.
The all-time picture is on the career-earnings page: Sportico puts his lifetime total third in sports history behind Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods — and he is the first active athlete to pass $2 billion.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2026?
Cristiano Ronaldo, at $300 million for the year according to Forbes — his sixth time topping the list and his fourth year running. Boxer Canelo Álvarez is second at $170 million and Lionel Messi third at $140 million.
Who is the highest-paid footballer in 2026?
Ronaldo, by a wide margin: his $300 million is more than double Messi's $140 million. Karim Benzema ($104M) is the third footballer in the Forbes top ten — meaning football supplies three of the world's ten best-paid athletes.