Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes 2026 highest-paid list hours after winning Saudi Pro League

Cristiano Ronaldo has once again claimed the No. 1 spot on Forbes’ annual list of the world’s highest-paid athletes for 2026. The 41-year-old Al-Nassr superstar earned an estimated $300 million over the past 12 months, marking his sixth time topping the ranking in the last 11 years and the fourth straight year at the summit.

Ronaldo's haul includes around $235 million USD on the field from his Al-Nassr contract and $65 million off the pitch from endorsements and business ventures.

This ties the record for the highest single-year earnings by an active athlete in Forbes’ history.

With this latest achievement, Ronaldo now matches Michael Jordan for the second-most No. 1 finishes (six times), behind only Tiger Woods (11 times).

His continued dominance highlights his unmatched global commercial appeal even at 41 years old. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner continues to prove that his brand power remains as strong as ever.

The latest milestone comes hot on the heels of Ronaldo captaining Al-Nassr to the 2025/26 Saudi Pro League title, his first league championship in Saudi Arabia.

The Portuguese star scored twice in a dramatic final-day 4-1 victory over Damac to clinch the trophy, ending a seven-year wait for the club and marking his first league title in a fourth different country.

The full Forbes list showcases a mix of veteran superstars and rising talents across multiple sports.

The world’s top 50 highest-paid athletes collectively earned a staggering $4.1 billion USD before taxes and agent fees this year.

A record 10 athletes crossed the nine-figure mark with at least $100 million each.

Off-field earnings for the group reached a new high of $1.1 billion, while on-field earnings totalled $3 billion.

The average age of the top 50 is 30 years old, with three athletes aged 40 or older: Ronaldo (41), Lewis Hamilton (41), and LeBron James (41). The cutoff to make the top 50 list was a record $54.6 million USD.

Here is the full top 20 from the Forbes list:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Soccer, Portugal) — $300M ($235M on-field, $65M off-field)

2. Canelo Álvarez (Boxing, Mexico) — $170M

3. Lionel Messi (Soccer, Argentina) — $140M ($70M on-field, $70M off-field)

4. LeBron James (Basketball, USA) — $137.8M

5. Shohei Ohtani (Baseball, Japan) — $127.6M

6. Stephen Curry (Basketball, USA) — $124.7M

7. Jon Rahm (Golf, Spain) — $107M

8. Karim Benzema (Soccer, France) — $104M

9. Kevin Durant (Basketball, USA) — $103.8M

10. Lewis Hamilton (Auto Racing, UK) — $100M

11. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Basketball, Greece) — $99.2M

12. Kylian Mbappé (Soccer, France) — $95M

13. Micah Parsons (Football, USA) — $86.4M

14. Max Verstappen (Auto Racing, Netherlands) — $86M

15. Patrick Mahomes (Football, USA) — $84.7M

16. Scottie Scheffler (Golf, USA) — $84.6M

17. Brock Purdy (Football, USA) — $83.1M

18. Jayson Tatum (Basketball, USA) — $82.2M

19. Erling Haaland (Soccer, Norway) — $80M

20. Rory McIlroy (Golf, UK) — $76.4M