Sports

List of Highest Paid Athletes in the World

A ranked list of the highest-earning athletes globally, including salary, endorsements, and business income.

10 itemsUpdated Mar 14, 2026

The world's top athletes earn staggering amounts through a combination of salaries, prize money, endorsements, and business ventures. The Middle Eastern sports investments, particularly in Saudi Arabia, have significantly inflated earnings for football players. Meanwhile, NBA and NFL stars continue to command massive contracts in the USA. Endorsement deals often surpass on-field earnings for the biggest names in sports.

#	Name	Team	Sport	Country	Total Earnings
1	Cristiano Ronaldo Football Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list with his Al-Nassr salary, brand CR7, and endorsements including Nike, earning over $260M annually.	Al-Nassr	Football	Portugal	$260M+
2	Lionel Messi Football Lionel Messi earns from his Inter Miami salary plus massive endorsement deals with Adidas, Apple, and Saudi tourism contracts.	Inter Miami	Football	Argentina	$135M+
3	LeBron James Basketball LeBron James is the highest-paid NBA player with his Lakers salary, lifetime Nike deal, and SpringHill entertainment empire.	Los Angeles Lakers	Basketball	USA	$128M+
4	Neymar Jr Football Neymar's Saudi Arabia deal with Al-Hilal makes him one of the highest-paid athletes globally, supplemented by major endorsements.	Al-Hilal	Football	Brazil	$110M+
5	Karim Benzema Football Benzema moved to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia on a lucrative contract, adding to his endorsement portfolio.	Al-Ittihad	Football	France	$106M+
6	Stephen Curry Basketball Stephen Curry's Warriors contract and Under Armour deal make him one of the world's highest earners in sports.	Golden State Warriors	Basketball	USA	$102M+
7	Kylian Mbappé Football Mbappé's Real Madrid move came with a massive signing bonus and salary, plus Nike endorsements.	Real Madrid	Football	France	$90M+
8	Giannis Antetokounmpo Basketball Giannis's supermax NBA contract with the Bucks and Nike deal make him one of basketball's top earners.	Milwaukee Bucks	Basketball	Greece	$85M+
9	Virat Kohli Cricket Virat Kohli is the highest-earning cricketer globally, with a massive IPL contract and numerous endorsement deals.	RCB (IPL) / India	Cricket	India	$80M+
10	Patrick Mahomes American Football Mahomes signed the largest contract in NFL history with the Kansas City Chiefs and has a growing endorsement portfolio.	Kansas City Chiefs	American Football	USA	$75M+

This list is compiled from verified public records and reference sources. Last verified: March 14, 2026.

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