Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes' highest-paid athletes list once again; Stephen Curry in second spot

While Cristiano Ronaldo has topped the Forbes’ highest-paid athletes list once again, Lionel Messi dropped in the standings.

Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes’ 2025 list of the world’s highest-paid athletes for the third consecutive year and the fifth time in his career. Following his move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, Ronaldo’s estimated total earnings are around $275 million.

The Portuguese forward increased his income by $15 million through off-field endorsements as well as lucrative sponsorship deals backed by his large social media followers: 939 million in total as of May.

Meanwhile, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who in March became the first NBA player to reach 4,000 career three-pointers, jumped to second place in the rankings with $156 million.

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