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The highest paid athlete in the world as of May 2026 was Cristiano Ronaldo. The Al-Nassr soccer star took home total earnings of 300 million U.S. dollars, of which an estimated 65 million U.S. dollars were off-field earnings through endorsements.

Messi vs. Ronaldo continues

Despite the ongoing debate among fans and in the media about who is the better soccer player between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, it is the former that led the way in terms of total earnings in 2025/26. As well as winning an incredible amount of trophies, Ronaldo is winning off the pitch, too, thanks to a lucrative sponsorship deal with Nike, and endorsements with DAZN, Electronic Arts, and Tag Heuer. Meanwhile, eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi had an equal share of on- and -off field earnings, which totaled 140 million U.S. dollars.

Where are all the women?

One notable absence in the list of highest paid athletes is any female athletes. In fact, the highest paid female athletes took home a fraction of the earnings of their male counterparts. Tennis star Coco Gauff topped the list of sportswomen, having taken home eight million U.S. dollars in prize money and a further 23 million U.S. dollars in endorsements in 2025. Gauff consistently ranks in the top 10 of the WTA's ranking of female tennis players worldwide, and her endorsements include companies such as New Balance, Bose, and Rolex.