Ranking among the world’s 50 highest-paid athletes has never been an easy feat, but with the threshold for inclusion rising to $53.6 million this year—up an eye-popping 19% from 2024’s record-tying $45.2 million, and nearly double 2017’s $27.2 million—landing a spot on the exclusive list is harder than ever. Just eight years ago, that minimum payday would have been good enough for No. 6 overall.
Instead, sixth place on the 2025 financial leaderboard belongs to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, with an estimated $133.8 million over the past 12 months (before taxes and agent fees). And even James’ massive haul is nowhere near this year’s No. 1, soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, at $275 million—the third-best year for an active athlete ever measured by Forbes.
Combined, this year’s 50 top earners collected an estimated $4.23 billion, demolishing the previous high of $3.88 billion set just last year. The new total includes $1.04 billion from athletes’ endorsements, appearances and other business endeavors, climbing 11% from 2024’s $936 million and just shy of 2023’s record $1.08 billion.
But the increase is coming primarily on the field, where the top 50 collectively racked up $3.19 billion from playing salaries, bonuses and prize money—up a staggering 67% in just three years. Golfers have benefited from the entry of the Saudi-backed LIV league, with the new competition driving up purses even on rival tours. And the soaring NBA salary cap, fueled by the league’s record revenue, has players flying high above the financial rim. Sixteen basketball players appear on this year’s list, the most from any sport.
Expect the trend, and the upward trajectory of athlete earnings, to continue. The NBA’s new national media deals are set to take effect next season, which will mean millions more in players’ pockets.
RANK
NAME
SPORT
NATIONALITY
TOTAL EARNINGS
1
Cristiano Ronaldo
Soccer
Portugal
$275 M
2
Stephen Curry
Basketball
United States
$156 M
3
Tyson Fury
Boxing
United Kingdom
$146 M
4
Dak Prescott
Football
United States
$137 M
5
Lionel Messi
Soccer
Argentina
$135 M
6
LeBron James
Basketball
United States
$133.8 M
7
Juan Soto
Baseball
Dominican Republic
$114 M
8
Karim Benzema
Soccer
France
$104 M
9
Shohei Ohtani
Baseball
Japan
$102.5 M
10
Kevin Durant
Basketball
United States
$101.4 M
11
Oleksandr Usyk
Boxing
Ukraine
$101 M
12
Jon Rahm
Golf
Spain
$100 M
13
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Basketball
Greece
$94.4 M
14
Scottie Scheffler
Golf
United States
$92.5 M
15
Deshaun Watson
Football
United States
$91.8 M
16
Kylian Mbappé
Soccer
France
$90 M
17
Rory McIlroy
Golf
United Kingdom
$87.9 M
18
Patrick Mahomes
Football
United States
$86.8 M
19
Jordan Love
Football
United States
$83 M
20
Jared Goff
Football
United States
$80.8 M
21
Trevor Lawrence
Football
United States
$80.5 M
22
Canelo Alvarez
Boxing
Mexico
$80 M
22
Lewis Hamilton
Auto Racing
United Kingdom
$80 M
24
Max Verstappen
Auto Racing
Netherlands
$78 M
25
Neymar
Soccer
Brazil
$76 M
26
Justin Herbert
Football
United States
$73.6 M
27
Tua Tagovailoa
Football
United States
$72.4 M
28
Justin Jefferson
Football
United States
$72.2 M
29
Damian Lillard
Basketball
United States
$67.5 M
30
Blake Snell
Baseball
United States
$67.4 M
31
CeeDee Lamb
Football
United States
$66.7 M
32
Josh Allen
Football
United States
$66.1 M
33
Anthony Edwards
Basketball
United States
$62.1 M
34
Erling Haaland
Soccer
Norway
$62 M
35
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Basketball
Canada
$61.2 M
36
Joel Embiid
Basketball
United States
$60.4 M
37
Jimmy Butler
Basketball
United States
$59.8 M
38
Luka Doncic
Basketball
Slovenia
$58.5 M
39
Devin Booker
Basketball
United States
$58.3 M
40
Bradley Beal
Basketball
United States
$58.2 M
41
Nikola Jokic
Basketball
Serbia
$57.6 M
42
Kawhi Leonard
Basketball
United States
$57.3 M
43
Paul George
Basketball
United States
$56.3 M
44
Jayson Tatum
Basketball
United States
$55.8 M
45
Tiger Woods
Golf
United States
$55.4 M
46
Vinicius Junior
Soccer
Brazil
$55 M
47
Kyler Murray
Football
United States
$54.6 M
48
Sadio Mané
Soccer
Senegal
$54 M
49
Xander Schauffele
Golf
United States
$53.6 M
49
Russell Wilson
Football
United States
$53.6 M
