Forbes list of the world's highest-paid athletes
Compilation of world's most paid athletes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of the highest-paid athletes in the world as ranked by Forbes magazine.
2026 list
The 2026 list:[1]
| Rank | Name | Sport | Country | Total | Salary/winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football |  Portugal | $300 million | $235 million | $65 million |
| 2 | Canelo Álvarez | Boxing |  Mexico | $170 million | $160 million | $10 million |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Association football |  Argentina | $140 million | $70 million | $70 million |
| 4 | LeBron James | Basketball |  United States | $137.8 million | $52.8 million | $85 million |
| 5 | Shohei Ohtani | Baseball |  Japan | $127.6 million | $2.6 million | $125 million |
| 6 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | United States | $124.7 million | $59.7 million | $65 million |
| 7 | Jon Rahm | Golf |  Spain | $107 million | $97 million | $10 million |
| 8 | Karim Benzema | Association football |  France | $104 million | $100 million | $4 million |
| 9 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | United States | $103.8 million | $54.8 million | $49 million |
| 10 | Lewis Hamilton | Auto racing |  United Kingdom | $100 million | $70 million | $30 million |
2025 list
| Rank | Name | Sport | Country | Total | Salary/winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $275 million | $225 million | $50 million |
| 2 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | United States | $156 million | $56 million | $100 million |
| 3 | Tyson Fury | Boxing | United Kingdom | $146 million | $140 million | $6 million |
| 4 | Dak Prescott | American football | United States | $137 million | $127 million | $10 million |
| 5 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | $135 million | $60 million | $75 million |
| 6 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $133.8 million | $48.8 million | $85 million |
| 7 | Juan Soto | Baseball |  Dominican Republic | $114 million | $109 million | $5 million |
| 8 | Karim Benzema | Association football | France | $104 million | $100 million | $4 million |
| 9 | Shohei Ohtani | Baseball | Japan | $102.5 million | $2.5 million | $100 million |
| 10 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | United States | $101.4 million | $51.4 million | $50 million |
2024 list
| Rank | Name | Sport | Country | Total | Salary/winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $260 million | $200 million | $60 million |
| 2 | Jon Rahm | Golf | Spain | $218 million | $198 million | $20 million |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | $135 million | $65 million | $70 million |
| 4 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $128.2 million | $48.2 million | $80 million |
| 5 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Basketball |  Greece | $111 million | $46 million | $65 million |
| 6 | Kylian Mbappé | Association football | France | $110 million | $90 million | $20 million |
| 7 | Neymar | Association football |  Brazil | $108 million | $80 million | $28 million |
| 8 | Karim Benzema | Association football | France | $106 million | $100 million | $6 million |
| 9 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | United States | $102 million | $52 million | $50 million |
| 10 | Lamar Jackson | American football | United States | $100.5 million | $98.5 million | $2 million |
2023 list
The 2023 list:[6]
| Rank | Name | Sport | Country | Total | Salary/winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $136 million | $46 million | $90 million |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | $130 million | $65 million | $65 million |
| 3 | Kylian Mbappé | Association football | France | $120 million | $100 million | $20 million |
| 4 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $119.5 million | $44.5 million | $75 million |
| 5 | Canelo Álvarez | Boxing | Mexico | $110 million | $100 million | $10 million |
| 6 | Dustin Johnson | Golf | United States | $107 million | $102 million | $5 million |
| 7 | Phil Mickelson | Golf | United States | $106 million | $104 million | $2 million |
| 8 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | United States | $100.4 million | $48.4 million | $52 million |
| 9 | Roger Federer | Tennis |  Switzerland | $95.1 million | $0.1 million | $95 million |
| 10 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | United States | $89.1 million | $44.1 million | $45 million |
2022 list
The 2022 list:[7]
| Rank | Name | Sport | Country | Total | Salary/winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | $130 million | $75 million | $55 million |
| 2 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $121.2 million | $41.2 million | $80 million |
| 3 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $115 million | $60 million | $55 million |
| 4 | Neymar | Association football | Brazil | $95 million | $70 million | $25 million |
| 5 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | United States | $92.8 million | $45.8 million | $47 million |
| 6 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | United States | $92.1 million | $42.1 million | $50 million |
| 7 | Roger Federer | Tennis | Switzerland | $90.7 million | $0.7 million | $90 million |
| 8 | Canelo Álvarez | Boxing | Mexico | $90 million | $85 million | $5 million |
| 9 | Tom Brady | American football | United States | $83.9 million | $31.9 million | $52 million |
| 10 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Basketball | Greece | $80.9 million | $39.9 million | $41 million |
2021 list
The 2021 list:[8]
| Rank | Name | Sport | Country | Total | Salary/winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conor McGregor | Mixed martial arts |  Republic of Ireland | $180 million | $22 million | $158 million |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | $130 million | $97 million | $33 million |
| 3 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $120 million | $70 million | $50 million |
| 4 | Dak Prescott | American football | United States | $107.5 million | $97.5 million | $10 million |
| 5 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $96.5 million | $31.5 million | $65 million |
| 6 | Neymar | Association football | Brazil | $95 million | $76 million | $19 million |
| 7 | Roger Federer | Tennis | Switzerland | $90 million | $0.03 million | $90 million |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | Auto racing | United Kingdom | $82 million | $70 million | $12 million |
| 9 | Tom Brady | American football | United States | $76 million | $45 million | $31 million |
| 10 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | United States | $75 million | $31 million | $44 million |
2020 list
The 2020 list:[9]
| Rank | Name | Sport | Country | Total | Salary/winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roger Federer | Tennis | Switzerland | $106.3 million | $6.3 million | $100 million |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $105 million | $60 million | $45 million |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | $104 million | $72 million | $32 million |
| 4 | Neymar | Association football | Brazil | $95.5 million | $70.5 million | $25 million |
| 5 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $88.2 million | $28.2 million | $60 million |
| 6 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | United States | $74.4 million | $30.4 million | $44 million |
| 7 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | United States | $63.9 million | $28.9 million | $35 million |
| 8 | Tiger Woods | Golf | United States | $62.3 million | $2.3 million | $60 million |
| 9 | Kirk Cousins | American football | United States | $60.5 million | $58 million | $2.5 million |
| 10 | Carson Wentz | American football | United States | $59.1 million | $55.1 million | $4 million |
2010–2019 list
The 2010–2019 list:[10]
| Rank | Name | Sport | Nation | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | Boxing | United States | $915 million |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $800 million |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | $750 million |
| 4 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $680 million |
| 5 | Roger Federer | Tennis | Switzerland | $640 million |
| 6 | Tiger Woods | Golf | United States | $615 million |
| 7 | Phil Mickelson | Golf | United States | $480 million |
| 8 | Manny Pacquiao | Boxing |  Philippines | $435 million |
| 9 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | United States | $425 million |
| 10 | Lewis Hamilton | Auto racing | United Kingdom | $400 million |
2019 list
The 2019 list:[citation needed]
| Rank | Name | Sport | Nation | Total | Salary/Winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | $127 million | $92 million | $35 million |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $109 million | $65 million | $44 million |
| 3 | Neymar | Association football | Brazil | $105 million | $75 million | $30 million |
| 4 | Canelo Álvarez | Boxing | Mexico | $94 million | $92 million | $2 million |
| 5 | Roger Federer | Tennis | Switzerland | $93.4 million | $7.4 million | $86 million |
| 6 | Russell Wilson | American football | United States | $89.5 million | $80.5 million | $9 million |
| 7 | Aaron Rodgers | American football | United States | $89.3 million | $80.3 million | $9 million |
| 8 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $89 million | $36 million | $53 million |
| 9 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | United States | $79.8 million | $37.8 million | $42 million |
| 10 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | United States | $65.4 million | $30.4 million | $35 million |
2018 list
The 2018 list:[citation needed]
| Rank | Name | Sport | Nation | Total | Salary/Winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | Boxing | United States | $285 million | $275 million | $10 million |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | $111 million | $84 million | $27 million |
| 3 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $108 million | $61 million | $47 million |
| 4 | Conor McGregor | Mixed martial arts | Republic of Ireland | $99 million | $85 million | $14 million |
| 5 | Neymar | Association football | Brazil | $90 million | $73 million | $17 million |
| 6 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $85.5 million | $33.5 million | $52 million |
| 7 | Roger Federer | Tennis | Switzerland | $77.2 million | $12.2 million | $65 million |
| 8 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | United States | $76.9 million | $34.9 million | $42 million |
| 9 | Matt Ryan | American football | United States | $67.3 million | $62.3 million | $5 million |
| 10 | Matthew Stafford | American football | United States | $59.5 million | $57.5 million | $2 million |
2017 list
The 2017 list:[11]
| Rank | Name | Sport | Nation | Total | Salary/Winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $93 million | $58 million | $35 million |
| 2 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $86.2 million | $31.2 million | $55 million |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | $80 million | $53 million | $27 million |
| 4 | Roger Federer | Tennis | Switzerland | $64 million | $6 million | $58 million |
| 5 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | United States | $60.6 million | $26.6 million | $34 million |
| 6 | Andrew Luck | American football | United States | $50 million | $47 million | $3 million |
| 6 | Rory McIlroy | Golf |  Northern Ireland | $50 million | $16 million | $34 million |
| 8 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | United States | $47.3 million | $12.3 million | $35 million |
| 9 | James Harden | Basketball | United States | $46.6 million | $26.6 million | $20 million |
| 10 | Lewis Hamilton | Auto racing | United Kingdom | $46 million | $38 million | $8 million |
2016 list
The 2016 list:[12]
| Rank | Name | Sport | Nation | Total | Salary/Winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $88 million | $56 million | $32 million |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | $81.4 million | $53.4 million | $28 million |
| 3 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $77.2 million | $23.2 million | $54 million |
| 4 | Roger Federer | Tennis | Switzerland | $67.8 million | $7.8 million | $60 million |
| 5 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | United States | $56.2 million | $20.2 million | $36 million |
| 6 | Novak Djokovic | Tennis |  Serbia | $55.8 million | $21.8 million | $34 million |
| 7 | Cam Newton | American football | United States | $53.1 million | $41.1 million | $12 million |
| 8 | Phil Mickelson | Golf | United States | $52.9 million | $2.9 million | $50 million |
| 9 | Jordan Spieth | Golf | United States | $52.8 million | $20.8 million | $32 million |
| 10 | Kobe Bryant | Basketball | United States | $50 million | $25 million | $25 million |
2015 list
The 2015 list was released on 10 June 2015.[13]
| Rank | Name | Sport | Nation | Total | Salary/Winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | Boxing | United States | $300 million | $285 million | $15 million |
| 2 | Manny Pacquiao | Boxing | Philippines | $160 million | $148 million | $12 million |
| 3 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $79.6 million | $52.6 million | $27 million |
| 4 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | $73.8 million | $51.8 million | $22 million |
| 5 | Roger Federer | Tennis | Switzerland | $67 million | $9 million | $58 million |
| 6 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $64.8 million | $20.8 million | $44 million |
| 7 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | United States | $54.1 million | $19.1 million | $35 million |
| 8 | Phil Mickelson | Golf | United States | $50.8 million | $2.8 million | $48 million |
| 9 | Tiger Woods | Golf | United States | $50.6 million | $0.6 million | $50 million |
| 10 | Kobe Bryant | Basketball | United States | $49.5 million | $23.5 million | $26 million |
2014 list
The 2014 list was released on 11 June 2014.[14]
| Rank | Name | Sport | Nation | Total | Salary/Winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | Boxing | United States | $105 million | $105 million | $0 |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $80 million | $52 million | $28 million |
| 3 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $72.3 million | $19.3 million | $53 million |
| 4 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | $64.7 million | $41.7 million | $23 million |
| 5 | Kobe Bryant | Basketball | United States | $61.5 million | $30.5 million | $31 million |
| 6 | Tiger Woods | Golf | United States | $61.2 million | $6.2 million | $55 million |
| 7 | Roger Federer | Tennis | Switzerland | $56.2 million | $4.2 million | $52 million |
| 8 | Phil Mickelson | Golf | United States | $53.2 million | $5.2 million | $48 million |
| 9 | Rafael Nadal | Tennis | Spain | $44.5 million | $14.5 million | $30 million |
| 10 | Matt Ryan | American football | United States | $43.8 million | $42 million | $1.8 million |
2013 list
The 2013 list was released on 5 June 2013.[15]
| Rank | Name | Sport | Nation | Total | Salary/Winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tiger Woods | Golf | United States | $78.1 million | $13.1 million | $65 million |
| 2 | Roger Federer | Tennis | Switzerland | $71.5 million | $6.5 million | $65 million |
| 3 | Kobe Bryant | Basketball | United States | $61.9 million | $27.9 million | $34 million |
| 4 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $59.8 million | $17.8 million | $42 million |
| 5 | Drew Brees | American football | United States | $51 million | $40 million | $11 million |
| 6 | Aaron Rodgers | American football | United States | $49 million | $43 million | $6 million |
| 7 | Phil Mickelson | Golf | United States | $48.7 million | $4.7 million | $44 million |
| 8 | David Beckham | Association football |  United Kingdom | $47.2 million | $5.2 million | $42 million |
| 9 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $44 million | $23 million | $21 million |
| 10 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | $41.3 million | $20.3 million | $21 million |
2012 list
The 2012 list was released on 18 June 2012.[16]
| Rank | Name | Sport | Nationality | Total earnings | Salary/winnings | Endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | Boxing | United States | $85 million | $85 million | $0 |
| 2 | Manny Pacquiao | Boxing | Philippines | $62 million | $56 million | $6 million |
| 3 | Tiger Woods | Golf | United States | $59.4 million | $4.4 million | $55 million |
| 4 | LeBron James | Basketball | United States | $53 million | $13 million | $40 million |
| 5 | Roger Federer | Tennis | Switzerland | $52.7 million | $7.7 million | $45 million |
| 6 | Kobe Bryant | Basketball | United States | $52.3 million | $20.3 million | $32 million |
| 7 | Phil Mickelson | Golf | United States | $47.8 million | $4.8 million | $43 million |
| 8 | David Beckham | Association football | United Kingdom | $46 million | $9 million | $37 million |
| 9 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | $42.5 million | $20.5 million | $22 million |
| 10 | Peyton Manning | American football | United States | $42.4 million | $32.4 million | $10 million |
Statistics
Most No. 1 appearances
| Rank | Name | Sport | Nationality | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Association football | Portugal | 6 (2016, 2017, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026) |
| 2 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | Boxing | United States | 4 (2012, 2014, 2015, 2018) |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Association football | Argentina | 2 (2019, 2022) |
| 4 | Tiger Woods | Golf | United States | 1 (2013) |
| 4 | Roger Federer | Tennis | Switzerland | 1 (2020) |
| 4 | Conor McGregor | Mixed martial arts | Republic of Ireland | 1 (2021) |
