FULL LIST: Ronaldo tops Forbes highest-paid athletes list for sixth time

Cristiano Ronaldo has cemented his status as a dominant force in global sports earnings, securing the top spot on Forbes' highest-paid athletes list for a sixth time. This latest ranking, which includes four consecutive years at No. 1, places the 41-year-old Portuguese forward among the most consistently high earners in professional sports history.

Forbes noted that Ronaldo's achievement ties him with NBA legend Michael Jordan for the second-most years as the world's highest-paid athlete since the ranking's inception in 1990. Only golf icon Tiger Woods, with 11 top rankings, has spent more time at No. 1. Ronaldo's 2026 total earnings of $300 million also match boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s 2015 haul for the largest ever recorded by Forbes for an active athlete, unadjusted for inflation.

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The 41-year-old Ronaldo’s 2026 total ties him with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s haul from 2015 for the largest for an active athlete ever tracked by Forbes, dating to 1990 (unadjusted for inflation).

The report highlights Ronaldo's remarkable longevity at the pinnacle of sports income, especially in a landscape increasingly influenced by younger athletes. Despite the rise of new stars, veteran athletes like Ronaldo, LeBron James, and Lewis Hamilton, all around 41, continue to command significant earnings. The Forbes list indicates that while over half of the top 50 athletes are under 30, older stars still dominate the upper echelons of income.

Ronaldo leads the 2026 earnings table, which features a diverse array of global sports stars. Following him are Canelo Álvarez (Boxing) at $170 million, Lionel Messi (Soccer) at $140 million, and LeBron James (Basketball) at $137.8 million. Other notable athletes on the list include Shohei Ohtani (Baseball), Stephen Curry (Basketball), Jon Rahm (Golf), Karim Benzema (Soccer), Kevin Durant (Basketball), and Lewis Hamilton (Formula 1), all earning over $100 million.

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The number of times Ronaldo has led the ranking across his career, including the last four years straight, now stands at six.