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Ronaldo still rules, Curry leap-frogs LeBron—and footballers grab three of the top ten spots
Cristiano Ronaldo has again topped Forbes’ annual rich list, banking an eye-watering $275 million thanks to his Saudi megadeal with Al Nassr and a still-booming endorsement empire. Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry jumps five places to No. 2 with $156 million, edging past long-time list mainstay LeBron James (now sixth). The podium is rounded out by heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury on $146 million after two blockbuster Saudi fights and a Netflix reality show.
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A record-breaking payday for the sporting elite
Forbes’ 2025 ranking shows the money flowing faster than ever:
- The top 50 athletes earned about $4.23 billion before taxes—smashing last year’s $3.88 billion record.
- On-field income surged to $3.19 billion, powered by soaring NBA salaries and Middle-Eastern spending sprees, while off-field ventures contributed roughly $1.04 billion.
- Basketball dominates the list with 16 names, the most of any sport, followed by American football (11) and global soccer (8).
The 2025 Top Ten
| Rank | Athlete | Sport | 2025 Earnings* | On-field / Off-field split |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Football | $275 m | $225 m / $50 m |
| 2 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | $156 m | $56 m / $100 m |
| 3 | Tyson Fury | Boxing | $146 m | $140 m / $6 m |
| 4 | Dak Prescott | NFL | $137 m | $127 m / $10 m |
| 5 | Lionel Messi | Football | $135 m | $60 m / $75 m |
| 6 | LeBron James | Basketball | $133.8 m | $48.8 m / $85 m |
| 7 | Juan Soto | MLB | $114 m | $109 m / $5 m |
| 8 | Karim Benzema | Football | $104 m | $100 m / $4 m |
| 9 | Shohei Ohtani | MLB | $102.5 m | $2.5 m / $100 m |
| 10 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | $101.4 m | $51.4 m / $50 m |
* All figures are Forbes estimates for the 12-month window ending in May 2025. (reuters.com)
Key storylines behind the numbers
Ronaldo’s brand gets even bigger
- First footballer to reach 900 official goals last September.
- Expanded his CR7 media footprint with a 75 million-subscriber YouTube channel and a new film studio with director Matthew Vaughn.
- Added stakes in wearables (Whoop) and nutrition (Bioniq).
Curry dethrones LeBron in the NBA money race
- New one-year, $62.6 million extension keeps him the league’s highest salaried player through 2027.
- Lifetime Under Armour agreement now includes $75 million in stock plus an expanded Curry Brand portfolio.
- Investments this year: women’s league Unrivaled, beverage start-up Plezi Hydration, and spring-water firm Nirvana.
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Tyson Fury cashes in despite defeat
Two mega-fights with Oleksandr Usyk generated record purses; “At Home With the Furys” keeps Netflix viewers hooked—and sponsors paying.
NFL cap gymnastics propel Dak Prescott to fourth
A March restructuring pushed two seasons’ salary into one accounting year, while his $80 million signing bonus set a league record.
Messi’s “Miami effect”
Inter Miami’s star lifted MLS revenues and even earned a dedicated “MessiCam” playoff stream. Off the pitch, he launched sci-fi studio 525 Rosario and a sports-drink brand, Más+.
Shohei Ohtani: endorsements eclipse salary
His deferred $700 million Dodgers deal limits current pay to $2.5 million, but global partners—from New Balance to Seiko—deliver a nine-figure marketing haul.
Kevin Durant the entrepreneur
Boardroom unveiled a premium-subscription model; KD bought into PSG via Arctos Sports Partners and expanded his “Starting 5” Netflix docuseries.
Why basketball still leads the list
The NBA’s new media rights cycle—expected to top $75 billion—has pushed the salary cap skyward, letting super-max extensions like Curry’s and Durant’s swell player pay. Sixteen hoopers make the top-50, and average on-court earnings for listed NBA stars are up 67 % in just three years.
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Saudi money reshapes football (and boxing)
Saudi Pro League contracts for Ronaldo and Benzema, plus Riyadh’s staging of two Fury–Usyk bouts, show the kingdom’s outsized impact on global pay packets—mirroring LIV Golf’s splash a year earlier.
Takeaways for brands and leagues
- On-field guarantees rule again. Deferred megadeals (Ohtani) and NFL restructuring (Prescott) demonstrate creative cap-friendly structures—but cash now still tops the charts.
- Star power equals media power. Personal content studios (Ronaldo, Durant, Curry) are turning athletes into multiplatform moguls.
- Basketball’s global pull grows. The NBA’s cap surge and international fanbase keep hoops players ahead of bigger-roster sports in per-athlete wealth.
- Football’s global icons stay evergreen. Even at 40, Ronaldo remains sport’s most marketable face, joined by Messi and Benzema in the money elite.
With record totals and fresh storylines, 2025’s list confirms the modern athlete is equal parts performer, investor and media brand—and the ceiling is still rising.
