Highest-paid athletes 2025: Cristiano Ronaldo leads earnings chart, Lionel Messi drops to third behind Canelo Alvarez

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to hold the title of the highest-paid athlete in the world, surpassing Saul Canelo Alvarez in second place and Lionel Messi in third. The Mexican boxer Alvarez has managed to surpass several stars, including Messi, to secure his second position. In 2025, he faced off against American boxer Terence Crawford in a highly publicized match. Despite suffering a defeat, the guaranteed earnings from this fight propelled him to second place.

On the other hand, Messi climbed from fourth to third, trailing only behind Canelo and Ronaldo. Dominican baseball star Juan Soto recently signed a lucrative contract with the New York Mets, placing him in fourth position. Soto's impressive rise has pushed LeBron James down to fifth place, making James the highest-ranked American athlete on the list.

Last year, Soto earned USD 129.2 million, with 95 percent of that amount coming from his playing contract. This deal included a record-setting USD 75 million signing bonus as part of the 15-year, USD 765 million free-agent agreement he made with the New York Mets.

This marks Ronaldo's third consecutive year at the top, with estimated earnings of USD 260 million in 2025, which includes USD 200 million from Al Nassr and USD 60 million from off-field ventures.

Top-ten highest-paid athletes of 2025

Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, football, USD 260 million

Canelo Álvarez, Mexico, boxing, USD 137 million

Lionel Messi, Argentina, football, USD 130 million

Juan Soto, Dominican Republic, baseball, USD 129.2 million

LeBron James, United States, basketball, USD 128.7 million

Karim Benzema, France, football, USD 115 million

Stephen Curry, United States, basketball, USD 105.4 million

Shohei Ohtani, Japan, baseball, USD 102.5 million

Kevin Durant, United States, basketball, USD 100.8 million

Jon Rahm, Spain, golf, USD 100.7 million

The world of football featured 13 players in the top 10 rankings. Besides Ronaldo and Messi, Karim Benzema ranks sixth with earnings of USD 115 million, while Riyad Mahrez is in 45th place with USD 53.5 million, and Sadio Mane is 52nd with USD 51 million. All of these players are part of the Saudi Pro League.

NBA athletes account for 40% of the top 100 earners, with James leading the pack at $128.7 million, which includes $80 million from off-court ventures.

Thanks to his endorsements, James has held the title of the NBA’s highest-paid player for 12 out of the last 13 seasons, with Stephen Curry being the sole exception during the 2024-25 season, following a significant boost from his Under Armour contract extension.

Prior to Curry, the last player to surpass LeBron was Kobe Bryant in the 2012-13 season.

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