Cristiano Ronaldo was the world's highest-earning professional athlete in 2026, with estimated total earnings of $300 million. Canelo Álvarez ranked second at $170 million, while Lionel Messi placed third at $140 million, according to Forbes' global ranking.
"Total earnings" is broader than salary. It combines on-field income—salary, bonuses and prize money—with off-field income from sponsorships and businesses. The estimates cover May 1, 2025, through May 1, 2026.
Table of Contents
- The 10 highest-earning athletes in 2026
- Salary alone does not explain the ranking
- Which sports dominate the wider list?
- How Forbes calculated the estimates
- Why no women appeared in the top 50
The 10 highest-earning athletes in 2026
forbes estimated that every athlete in the top 10 earned at least $100 million during the ranking period. The breakdown shows how much came from competition and how much came from commercial activity.
Together, the group generated an estimated $1.4 billion. About $902 million came from on-field earnings, while sponsorships and businesses supplied $513 million.
- 1. Cristiano Ronaldo: $300 million total — $235 million on-field; $65 million off-field
- 2. Canelo Álvarez: $170 million — $160 million on-field; $10 million off-field
- 3. Lionel Messi: $140 million — $70 million on-field; $70 million off-field
- 4. LeBron James: $137.8 million — $52.8 million on-field; $85 million off-field
- 5. Shohei Ohtani: $127.6 million — $2.6 million on-field; $125 million off-field
Salary alone does not explain the ranking
Ronaldo's $235 million on-field estimate exceeded every other athlete's total earnings. He also finished $130 million ahead of Álvarez overall, illustrating the exceptional scale of his playing income and commercial portfolio. Ohtani presents the opposite pattern. Only $2.6 million of his $127.6 million estimate counted as on-field income, while $125 million came off the field.
His Dodgers contract defers most of his salary until 2034, so the ranking does not reflect the contract's full long-term value. Commercial earnings also changed the order. LeBron James earned less on the field than messi but led him off the field by $15 million. Messi's income was evenly divided, while Curry earned slightly more commercially than from basketball.
Which sports dominate the wider list?
The top 10 included athletes from soccer, boxing, basketball, baseball, golf and Formula 1. Soccer placed three athletes in the group: Ronaldo, Messi and Benzema. The broader ranking was more heavily shaped by basketball.
Forbes estimated that the 50 highest-paid athletes earned $4.1 billion across eight sports and 18 countries. The NBA supplied 20 athletes, more than any other league. That distinction matters when judging a sport's earning power. Soccer produced the overall leader, but the NBA contributed the greatest number of athletes to the top 50.
How Forbes calculated the estimates
The figures are estimates, not audited salary records or measures of net worth. Forbes used industry sources and databases to assess income received between May 1, 2025, and May 1, 2026. Its 2026 ranking methodology includes business cash returns but excludes taxes, agents' fees, interest and dividends.
An athlete's listed earnings therefore should not be read as take-home pay, annual salary or growth in personal wealth. Timing can also distort comparisons. Deferred compensation may reduce current on-field earnings even when an athlete has a much larger contract, as Ohtani's breakdown demonstrates.
Why no women appeared in the top 50
No woman made the 2026 top 50, marking the third consecutive year without female representation. Jannik Sinner set the entry threshold at $54.6 million, while Coco Gauff's estimated 2025 earnings were $33 million, according to Forbes' analysis of the cutoff.
The comparison does not measure sporting performance. It shows that ranking eligibility depends on monetized earnings during one defined period, including sponsorship and business income as well as competition-related pay.