Sports earnings in 2025: Cristiano Ronaldo tops with $260 million, Messi ranks third but has greater commercial value than Ronaldo.

In sports revenue, football remains the number one sport, and footballers are the highest earners, with Messi and Ronaldo ranking among the top three, Benzema sixth, Mbappé twelfth, and Haaland eighteenth.

Recently, the American sports financial media Sportico released the list of the top 100 highest-earning athletes in 2025 across eight major sports. Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has ranked first for three consecutive years, earning over $100 million for nine straight years, and surpassing $300 million annually for three years in a row, solidifying his status as the top "money magnet" in sports. Although Messi's income is less than Ronaldo's, his commercial value (off-field earnings) exceeds Ronaldo's.

Top 20 highest-earning athletes in sports (amounts in USD):

• 1st: Cristiano Ronaldo / Football, $260 million, including $60 million from off-field earnings.
• 2nd: Alvarez / Boxing, $137 million, including $12 million from off-field earnings.
• 3rd: Messi / Football, $130 million, including $70 million from off-field earnings.
• 4th: Juan Soto / Baseball, $129.2 million, including $7 million from off-field earnings.
• 5th: LeBron James / Basketball, $128.7 million, including $80 million from off-field earnings.
• 6th: Benzema / Football, $115 million, including $5 million from off-field earnings.
• 7th: Curry / Basketball, $105.4 million, including $50 million from off-field earnings.
• 8th: Shohei Ohtani / Baseball, $102.5 million, including $100 million from off-field earnings.
• 9th: Durant / Basketball, $100.8 million, including $50 million from off-field earnings.
• 10th: Jon Rahm / Golf, $100.7 million, including $16 million from off-field earnings.
• 11th: Hamilton / F1, $100 million, including $30 million from off-field earnings.
• 12th: Mbappé / Football, $95 million, including $25 million from off-field earnings.
• 13th: Antetokounmpo / Basketball, $94.3 million, including $45 million from off-field earnings.
• 14th: McIlroy / Golf, $91.2 million, including $55 million from off-field earnings.
• 15th: Verstappen / F1, $83 million, including $8 million from off-field earnings.
• 16th: Schauffele / Golf, $82.9 million, including $32 million from off-field earnings.
• 17th: Mahomes / Football (American), $80.3 million, including $30 million from off-field earnings.
• 18th: Haaland / Football, $77.9 million, including $26 million from off-field earnings.
• 19th: Josh Allen / Football (American), $73.2 million, including $15 million from off-field earnings.
• 20th: Herbert / Football (American), $71.1 million, including $11 million from off-field earnings.