In May 2025, Forbes released the 2025 list of the world’s highest-paid athletes with Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo securing the top position for the third consecutive year and fifth overall, total earning of USD 275 million between May 2024 and May 2025.
- Cristiano Ronaldo earned an estimated USD 225 million from on-field activities, primarily through his contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, while his off-field earnings, including endorsements, business ventures, and social media partnerships,amounted to approximately USD 50 million.
- The United States of America (USA)-based basketball player Stephen Curry ranked second on the list with total earnings of USD 156 million, while United Kingdom (UK)-based boxer Tyson Fury secured the third position with total earnings of USD 146 million.
Note: The total earnings of the top 50 highest-paid athletes in 2025 reached a record high of USD 4.23 billion, marking a significant increase from USD 3.88 billion in 2024.
Highlights of Forbes 2025 Highest-Paid Athletes List:
Methodology:
i.Forbes calculated earnings from May 1, 2024, to May 1, 2025, using data from industry insiders, salary databases (e.g., Capology, Spotrac), and exchange rate conversions.
ii.On-field earnings include salaries, bonuses, prize money, and club-based image rights agreements (for footballers).
iii.Off-field earnings cover sponsorship deals, appearance fees, memorabilia, licensing income, and cash returns from businesses where athletes hold significant stakes.
Key Highlights:
i.As per Forbes, the combined earnings of the top 10 highest-paid athletes in 2025 reached USD 1.4 billion, showing a slight increase from USD 1.38 billion recorded in 2024.
- This is the highest total earnings recorded by the top 10 since Forbes began ranking athlete income in 1990.
ii.LeBron James (USA) secured the 6th position with total earnings of USD 133.8 million, followed by Juan Soto (Dominican Republic) at 7th with USD 114 million. Karim Benzema (France) ranked 8th with USD 104 million, while Shohei Ohtani (Japan) stood at 9th with USD 102.5 million, and Kevin Durant (USA) completed the top 10 with USD 101.4 million.
iii.UK based Formula one (F1) racer Lewis Hamilton secured 22 position with earnings of USD 80 million, while Netherlands based F1 racer Max Verstappen ranked 24th with USD 78 million in earnings.
iv.For the first time since 2019, no female athletes were featured in Forbes’ 2025 list of the top 50 highest-paid athletes. American tennis player Coco Gauff narrowly missed the cutoff, falling short by USD 19.2 million.
- No Indian athletes were present in the top 50 list for this year.
v.Among the top 50 highest-paid athletes in 2025, the USA leads with 29 athletes featured, the highest representation from any country.
Top 5 Highest-Paid Athletes in 2025:
| Rank | Name | Sport | Nationality | Total Earnings (USD/Million) | On-Field Earnings (USD/Million) | Off-Field Earnings (USD/Million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Soccer | Portugal | 275 | 225 | 50 |
| 2 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | United States of America (USA) | 156 | 56 | 100 |
| 3 | Tyson Fury | Boxing | United Kingdom (UK) | 146 | 140 | 6 |
| 4 | Dak Prescott | Football | USA | 137 | 127 | 10 |
| 5 | Lionel Messi | Soccer | Argentina | 135 | 60 | 75 |
About Forbes:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Sherry Phillips
Headquarters – New Jersey, The United States of America (USA)
Founded – 1917
