Cristiano Ronaldo remains the world's highest-paid athlete in the 2025-2026 season, earning an estimated $300 million, according to data compiled by Voronoi and Visual Capitalist.
The football star leads a list dominated by global sporting icons, with boxer Canelo Alvarez ranking second at $170 million, followed by Lionel Messi ($140 million) and NBA superstar LeBron James ($138 million).
Baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani rounds out the top five with earnings of $128 million.
Other athletes on the list include Stephen Curry ($125 million), Jon Rahm ($107 million), Karim Benzema ($104 million), Kevin Durant ($104 million) and Lewis Hamilton ($100 million).
The rankings highlight the growing commercial power of elite athletes, whose earnings continue to be boosted by lucrative contracts, sponsorship deals and business ventures beyond their respective sports.
