Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the world’s highest-paid athlete for a sixth time, including four consecutive years at the top, according to Forbes. The 41-year-old Portuguese forward continues to dominate global sports earnings despite a shifting landscape increasingly driven by younger stars.
Forbes noted that Ronaldo’s latest ranking places him among the most consistent earners in sports history, alongside Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. It also highlighted that his 2026 earnings match Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s 2015 record for the highest annual total ever recorded for an active athlete (not inflation-adjusted). The report further pointed out that while more than half of the top 50 highest-paid athletes are now under 30, veteran stars like Ronaldo, LeBron James and Lewis Hamilton continue to maintain strong commercial dominance at the top end of global sports income.
