Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes' highest-paid athletes list as Curry jumps to second

Star Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has topped the Forbes list of highest-paid athletes for the third consecutive time, while American NBA star Stephen Curry has jumped to second. 

After moving to Saudi Pro League's club Al Nassr, Rondaldo's earnings saw a rise, and his estimated income is around $275 million.

The Al Nassr star increased his earnings by $15 million through off-field activities, as well as sponsorship deals and huge social media followers.

Meanwhile, Curry, the Golden State Warriors guard, has moved to second, with $156 million, along with two other NBA stars, with LeBron James and Kevin Durant also inside the top 10.

British former Boxer Tyson Fury has secured third place with $146 million. Despite losing his last fight to Oleksandr Usyk in December, Fury boosted his earnings by the Netflix reality TV show and partnership with Maltese tourism.

Dallas Cowboys Dak Prescott is up to fourth with $137 million, record-breaking signing bonuses and a high-paying contract extension. 

Meanwhile, Argentine football star Lionel Messi slipped to fifth with $135 million. He moved to Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami in 2023 and is also working with Adidas and Apple for endorsements. 

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, who is on the brink of his career, ended sixth with $133.8 million.

Forbes' list of top 10 highest-paid athletes in 2025

1. Cristiano Ronaldo, football: $275m (£206.6m)

2. Stephen Curry, basketball: $156m (£117.2m)

3. Tyson Fury, boxing: $146m (£109.7m)

4. Dak Prescott, American football: $137m (£103m)

5. Lionel Messi, football: $135m (£101.4m)

6. LeBron James, basketball: $133.8m (£105.5m)

7. Juan Soto, baseball: $114m (£85.7m)

8. Karim Benzema, football: $104m (£78.2m)

9. Shohei Ohtani, baseball: $102.5m (£77m)

10. Kevin Durant, basketball: $101.4m (£76.2m)