For the third-year running, Ronaldo is the highest paid athlete in the world. The Real Madrid legend earned $275 million, over $100 million more than second-place Stephen Curry made in 2025. Ronaldo's on-field earnings amounted to $225 million while his off-field earnings amounted to $50 million, per Forbes.

Forbes have released their list of the world’s highest-paid athletes in 2025, and as ever, footballers feature heavily. From global icons to Saudi-backed megastars, eight players made the cut. Alongside them on this year’s list are names like Steph Curry of the NBA,

Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes’ 2025 list of the world’s highest paid athletes, ahead of Stephen Curry and Tyson Fury.