The 10 Highest-Paid Athletes in 2026
Estimated earnings, sponsorships, and the deals shaping pay across sports in 2026.
Quick Answer
Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid athlete in the world for 2026, earning an estimated $300 million — his highest total yet and his fourth consecutive year at No. 1. The top four alone (Ronaldo, Canelo Álvarez, Messi, and LeBron James) earned nearly $748 million combined, more than the remaining six spots in the top 10 combined.
Athlete earnings have never been more concentrated at the very top, or more shaped by forces outside the field of play. Saudi Arabia's sports investment continues to reshape pay in boxing, golf, and soccer, while off-field endorsements now rival or exceed playing salaries for many of the world's top earners. Forbes' 2026 ranking tracks pretax income from May 1, 2025 through May 1, 2026, covering salaries, prize money, bonuses, and off-field earnings from endorsements, appearances, and business ventures.
Estimated Athlete Earnings — 2026 · USD millions
Source: ForbesTap any athlete to jump to their full breakdown below.
Ranked #10 to #1
- Estimated earnings:
- $100M
- Category:
- Formula 1
- Revenue sources:
- $70M on-track, $30M off-track
The seven-time world champion drives for Ferrari, combining his team salary with a wide portfolio of personal endorsement deals.
Hamilton became the first F1 driver to earn $100 million in a single year, driven by his Ferrari salary plus endorsement deals.
Source: Forbes
- Estimated earnings:
- $103.8M
- Category:
- Basketball
- Revenue sources:
- $54.8M on-court, $49M off-court
Durant's off-court income is nearly even with his playing salary, split across brand partnerships and his own media and investment ventures.
Boosted by partnerships with CeraVe, Dick's Sporting Goods, and FanDuel, alongside his media company Boardroom and his investment firm 35V (Thirty Five Ventures).
Source: Forbes
- Estimated earnings:
- $104M
- Category:
- Soccer
- Revenue sources:
- Saudi Pro League salary
Like Ronaldo, Benzema's move to Saudi Arabia's top league has come with a nine-figure salary far above typical European club pay.
Benzema is one of two Saudi Pro League players in this year's top 10, alongside Ronaldo.
Source: Forbes
- Estimated earnings:
- $107M
- Category:
- Golf
- Revenue sources:
- LIV Golf guarantee, tournament winnings
Rahm's move to LIV Golf came with one of the largest guaranteed contracts in golf history, on top of his tournament earnings.
Rahm's LIV Golf move came with a reportedly $300 million guarantee; he also won LIV's $18 million season-long individual title bonus in 2025.
Source: Forbes
- Estimated earnings:
- $124.7M
- Category:
- Basketball
- Revenue sources:
- NBA salary, Li-Ning, Chase, Google, Rakuten
Curry Brand split from longtime partner Under Armour in November 2025, with Curry retaining full ownership of the brand.
He announced a new 10-year, $400M+ partnership with Chinese sportswear giant Li-Ning in 2026, alongside personal endorsement deals with Chase, Google, and Rakuten.
Source: Forbes
- Estimated earnings:
- $127.6M
- Category:
- Baseball
- Revenue sources:
- Endorsements, appearances, licensing, memorabilia
Most of Ohtani's historic 10-year, $700 million Dodgers contract is deferred until 2034, leaving him with just $2.6M in on-field earnings during the period.
His remaining $125M in earnings comes from a mix of endorsements, appearances, licensing, memorabilia, and other business ventures.
Source: Forbes
- Estimated earnings:
- $137.8M
- Category:
- Basketball
- Revenue sources:
- $85M off-court income
$85M of James's earnings came from off-court income, making business ventures and endorsements a larger source of income than his playing salary.
Forbes previously identified James as the first active NBA player to become a billionaire.
Source: Forbes
- Estimated earnings:
- $140M
- Category:
- Soccer
- Revenue sources:
- 50/50 on-field/off-field split
Now with Inter Miami, Messi's earnings are split evenly between his playing contract and a wide portfolio of endorsement and business ventures.
This highlights the continued strength of his commercial earnings alongside his MLS income.
Source: Forbes
- Estimated earnings:
- $170M
- Category:
- Boxing
- Revenue sources:
- Riyadh Season fight deal
Álvarez's earnings jumped this year off a massive payday from his fight against Terence Crawford.
Part of a four-fight deal with Saudi-backed Riyadh Season reportedly worth as much as $400 million.
Source: Forbes
- Estimated earnings:
- $300M
- Category:
- Soccer
- Revenue sources:
- $235M on-field, $65M off-field
Playing for Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr, Ronaldo's on-field income has more than tripled since leaving the English Premier League in 2023.
This year's $300M ties Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s 2015 figure for the largest single-year total Forbes has recorded for an active athlete, before inflation adjustment.
Source: Forbes; Robb Report
What the numbers tell us
Basketball and soccer are tied for the most top-10 representation with three athletes each. The average age of this year's top 10 is 37 — the oldest in the history of the Forbes ranking, underscoring the growing importance of brand value and off-field earnings alongside athletic performance.
- Data period:
- May 1, 2025 – May 1, 2026
- Last updated:
- September 5, 2026
- Sources:
- Forbes, The World's 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2026
Primary source: Forbes, The World's 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2026 (published May 22, 2026), tracking pretax income from May 1, 2025 to May 1, 2026. The ranking and earnings figures were cross-checked against Forbes' 2026 list and additional reporting from major sports and business publications. Figures are Forbes' estimates based on publicly available information, contracts, and reporting — not audited or self-reported exact numbers, and may vary from other published sources.
Figures marked as estimates are based on publicly available information and may vary from other published sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid athlete in the world for 2026, earning an estimated $300 million — his highest total yet and his fourth consecutive year at No. 1.