Cristiano Ronaldo has topped Forbes magazine's list of the highest-paid athletes. The Portuguese forward leads the ranking for the fourth consecutive year and the sixth time overall.
In 2026, the 41-year-old footballer earned $300 million. Of this amount, $235 million came from his contract with Al-Nassr, while $65 million came from advertising and various commercial projects.
Forbes has been publishing the athlete ranking since 1990. Ronaldo has matched the record set by boxer Floyd Mayweather, who earned $300 million in 2015. However, adjusted for inflation, Mayweather's earnings equate to $427 million.
The top 10 highest-paid athletes collectively earned $1.4 billion. The list includes Saul Alvarez, Lionel Messi, LeBron James, Shohei Ohtani, Stephen Curry, Jon Rahm, Karim Benzema, Kevin Durant, and Lewis Hamilton.
