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World's Highest-Paid Athletes, 2012 to 2026

Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes' 2026 highest-paid athletes list at $300 million, with Canelo Alvarez second at $170 million. Forbes top-10 since 2012.

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What the data shows

  • In 2026, Cristiano Ronaldo ranks #1 with $300.0M, ahead of Canelo Álvarez ($170.0M) and Lionel Messi ($140.0M).
  • Back in 2012, Floyd Mayweather Jr. was #1 with $85.0M.
  • The top spot changed hands 6 times, first to Manny Pacquiao in 2014, most recently to Cristiano Ronaldo in 2023.
  • Biggest climber: Cristiano Ronaldo, from #8 in 2012 to #1 in 2026.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo grew 7.1× between 2012 and 2026.
  • Canelo Álvarez, Lionel Messi and Stephen Curry weren't on the board in 2012 but are in the top 5 by 2026.

About this chart

Cristiano Ronaldo's earnings have more than doubled since 2023, from $136 million on that list to $260 million in 2024, $275 million in 2025 and $300 million in 2026, and he has topped the list in each of the last three years. Canelo Alvarez was second in 2026 at $170 million, and LeBron James fourth at $137.8 million. Shohei Ohtani earned $127.6 million, with $125 million of it from endorsements.

Earlier years had different number ones. Floyd Mayweather topped the 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2018 lists, including $300 million in 2015. Tiger Woods led in 2013 at $78.1 million, Lionel Messi in 2019 and 2022, Roger Federer in 2020 at $106.3 million and Conor McGregor in 2021 at $180 million. Figures are Forbes estimates in nominal dollars for the 12 months before each list. A blank cell means the athlete was outside that year's top 10.

The data

Source: Wikipedia, Forbes list of the world's highest-paid athletes (citing the annual Forbes top-10 lists). Retrieved November 4, 2026. Forbes top-10 only: an empty cell means the athlete was not in that year's top 10 (not that earnings are unknown). The list year is the Forbes publication year and covers the preceding 12 months. 2026 list published 22 May 2026. Selected 14 athletes with most top-10 appearances plus every No. 1.

World's Highest-Paid Athletes, Forbes annual earnings, $ millions, 2012-2026 lists, 2012–2026
Date🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo🇲🇽 Canelo Álvarez🇦🇷 Lionel Messi🇺🇸 LeBron James🇺🇸 Stephen Curry🇺🇸 Kevin Durant🇺🇸 Floyd Mayweather Jr.🇮🇪 Conor McGregor🇵🇭 Manny Pacquiao🇧🇷 Neymar🇨🇭 Roger Federer🇺🇸 Phil Mickelson🇺🇸 Tiger Woods🇺🇸 Kobe Bryant
2012$42.5M$53.0M$85.0M$62.0M$52.7M$47.8M$59.4M$52.3M
2013$44.0M$41.3M$59.8M$95.0M$94.7M$71.5M$48.7M$78.1M$61.9M
2014$80.0M$64.7M$72.3M$105.0M$127.3M$56.2M$53.2M$61.2M$61.5M
2015$79.6M$73.8M$64.8M$54.1M$300.0M$160.0M$67.0M$50.8M$50.6M$49.5M
2016$88.0M$81.4M$77.2M$56.2M$295.0M$67.8M$52.9M$52.9M$50.0M
2017$93.0M$80.0M$86.2M$47.3M$60.6M$290.0M$64.0M$60.5M$55.3M
2018$108.0M$111.0M$85.5M$76.9M$63.0M$285.0M$99.0M$90.0M$77.2M$68.1M$57.6M
2019$109.0M$94.0M$127.0M$89.0M$79.8M$65.4M$126.0M$105.0M$93.4M$75.7M$60.0M
2020$105.0M$92.7M$104.0M$88.2M$74.4M$63.9M$153.0M$95.5M$106.3M$83.2M$62.3M
2021$120.0M$91.3M$130.0M$96.5M$83.6M$75.0M$180.0M$95.0M$90.0M$90.8M
2022$115.0M$90.0M$130.0M$121.2M$92.8M$92.1M$95.0M$90.7M$98.4M
2023$136.0M$110.0M$130.0M$119.5M$100.4M$89.1M$101.5M$95.1M$106.0M
2024$260.0M$130.0M$135.0M$128.2M$102.0M$95.3M$108.0M
2025$275.0M$150.0M$135.0M$133.8M$156.0M$101.4M
2026$300.0M$170.0M$140.0M$137.8M$124.7M$103.8M

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Frequently asked questions

Who is the highest-paid athlete in the world?

Cristiano Ronaldo, with $300 million on Forbes' list published May 22, 2026. He also topped the 2025 list at $275 million and the 2024 list at $260 million.

Who else has topped the Forbes highest-paid athletes list?

Floyd Mayweather topped the 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2018 lists, and Tiger Woods the 2013 list. Lionel Messi was number one in 2019 and 2022, Roger Federer in 2020 and Conor McGregor in 2021 at $180 million.

How much do the highest-paid athletes make from endorsements?

It varies widely. Shohei Ohtani's $127.6 million on the 2026 list included $125 million from endorsements, so almost all of his earnings came off the field.

Where does this data come from?

Wikipedia, Forbes list of the world's highest-paid athletes (citing the annual Forbes top-10 lists). Retrieved November 4, 2026. Forbes top-10 only: an empty cell means the athlete was not in that year's top 10 (not that earnings are unknown). The list year is the Forbes publication year and covers the preceding 12 months. 2026 list published 22 May 2026. Selected 14 athletes with most top-10 appearances plus every No. 1. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

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