Forbes drops latest richest athletes list featuring major sports stars
· Yahoo Sports
Forbes drops latest richest athletes list featuring major sports stars originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Cristiano Ronaldo just broke a sports record that had stood for over 10 years. Forbes released its 2026 list of the 10 highest-paid athletes on May 22.
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The top 10 earned a combined $1.4B over the past 12 months. Every one of them cleared $100M for the third straight year.
Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list with an estimated $300M. That total ties Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s 2015 mark as the largest Forbes has ever measured since 1990.
Ronaldo made $235M on the field and $65M off it. This is his sixth time leading the ranking, matching Michael Jordan for the second-most all-time.
Three athletes broke earnings records for their sports this year. Shohei Ohtani set a new MLB high at $127.6M after retaking the baseball crown.
Lewis Hamilton set a Formula 1 record at $100M in his first Ferrari season. Canelo Álvarez took second overall at $170M through his Saudi fight deal.
Lionel Messi landed at number 3 with a total of $140M while LeBron James followed at $137.8M. Both of these stars posted career-best totals this year.
The average age of the list hit 37, the oldest Forbes has ever recorded. Three members are 41 years old, including Ronaldo, James, and Hamilton.
On-field earnings totaled $902M, down 2% from the 2025 figure. Off-field income hit $513M, edging past the previous record of $512M set in 2021.
Ohtani led off-field earnings with $125M from sponsors like New Balance and Hugo Boss. Only Conor McGregor has earned more off the field while active.
Saudi money continues to shape the list in major ways. Ronaldo and Karim Benzema both play in the Saudi Pro League with nine-figure salaries.
Álvarez fights under a Saudi deal reportedly worth up to $400M. Jon Rahm earns $107M from LIV Golf, though Saudi funding may end after this season.
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