Cristiano Ronaldo tops Sportico’s list of the 100 highest-paid athletes in the world for the third consecutive year, with estimated annual earnings of $260 million, including $200 million from Al Nassr and $60 million from endorsement deals.
LeBron James is the only American in the top five, with total earnings of $128.7 million, including $80 million from sponsors.
The NBA and NFL dominated the list with 62 American athletes, while football had 13 representatives, including Saudi Pro League stars such as Karim Benzema and Sadio Mané.
Tennis player Coco Gauff was the highest-paid female athlete in 2025 with $31 million, but women did not make the top 100 for the third year in a row.
In total, the 100 richest athletes earned $6.05 billion, of which $4.63 billion came from salaries and bonuses and $1.42 billion from sponsorships.
