Forbes' top ten highest-paid athletes in the world

The magazine has released its annual ranking, with Cristiano Ronaldo once again claiming the top spot, followed by Stephen Curry and Tyson Fury.

LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo and Juan SotoVOZ/Cordon Press.

Published by

Alejandro Baños

16 de mayo, 2025

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'Forbes' published its annual ranking of the world’s highest-paid athletes, with Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo once again claiming the top spot. Compared to last year, several globally recognized athletes—such as Spanish golfer Jon Rahm, Brazilian soccer player Neymar, and Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo—have dropped off the list. They have been replaced by newcomers like boxer Tyson Fury, NFL quarterback Dak Prescott or baseball player Juan Soto, all of whom recently secured lucrative contracts. Notably, nine of the ten top-earning athletes compete in team sports; only one represents an individual discipline.

Below is the list of the world’s ten highest-paid athletes along with their total earnings for 2024.

Cristiano Ronaldo: $275 million

The Portuguese soccer player, who plays for Al Nassr of the Saudi Pro League, pocketed $225 million per contract, plus $50 million in sponsorship fees.

Stephen Curry: $156 million

The leader of the NBA's Golden State Warriors earned $56 million from his contract, plus $100 million in sponsorship deals.

Tyson Fury: $146 million

The boxer, one of the newest additions to the list, earned $140 million from his contract, plus $6 million in sponsorship deals.

Dak Prescott: $137 million

The NFL's Dallas Cowboys player pocketed $127 million per contract, plus $10 million in sponsorship.

Lionel Messi: $135 million

The Argentine star of MLS’s Inter Miami earned $60 million from his contract, plus $75 million in sponsorship fees.

LeBron James: $133.8 million

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer, now with the Los Angeles Lakers, earned $48.8 million from his contract, plus $85 million in sponsorship deals.

Juan Soto: $114 million

The Dominican baseball player, who recently joined the New York Mets, earned $109 million from his contract, plus $5 million in sponsorship deals.

Karim Benzema: $104 million

The French soccer player for Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad earned $100 million from his contract, plus $4 million in sponsorship fees.

Shohei Ohtani: $102.5 million

The Japanese-born player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, previously the highest-paid baseball player until Soto joined the New York Mets, earned $2.5 million from his contract, plus $100 million in sponsorship fees.

Kevin Durant: $101.4 million

One of the greatest small forwards in NBA history and current Phoenix Suns player earned $51.4 million from his contract, plus $50 million in sponsorship deals.