Top-10 Highest Earning Sports Males in 2026
The highest paid sports athlete in 2026, according to Forbes Magazine, was Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo (he has been ranked no.1 since 2023).
| # | Name | Sport | Earnings
($ million) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Soccer | 300 |
| 2 | Canelo Álvarez | Boxing | 170 |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Soccer | 140 |
| 4 | LeBron James | Basketball | 137.8 |
| 5 | Shohei Ohtani | Baseball | 127.6 |
| 6 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | 124.7 |
| 7 | Jon Rahm | Golf | 107 |
| 8 | Karim Benzema | Soccer | 104 |
| 9 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | 103.8 |
| 10 | Lewis Hamilton | Auto racing | 100 |
Notes
- The figures are taken from the annual list of highest-paid athletes published by Forbes magazine in June 2026.
- The earnings totals (in US dollars) are derived from salaries, bonuses, prize money, appearance fees, licensing and endorsement income in the 12 months from May 1, 2025 to May 1, 2026. Taxes or agents' fees are not factored into the figures.
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