Cristiano Ronaldo has topped a list of the world's highest-paid footballers for the third year in a row. Ronaldo has already ranked as the best paid athlete in the world every year since 2023.
He has now extended his run as the highest-paid footballer on the planet in Forbes' latest money list. According to the business magazine, Ronaldo will earn £224 million this year across his Al Nassr salary, endorsements and business ventures.
It sees him rank ahead of World Cup winners Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, who will take home £108 million and £75 million, respectively. Ronaldo's staggering earnings have seen the 41-year-old make a unique piece of financial history.
Making History: The $2 Billion Milestone
The Portugal international has become the first footballer to have a net worth of more than $2 billion (£1.5 billion). He is also the first active athlete in sports history to surpass the figure in career earnings before taxes and agent fees.
Across the 2026/27 season, Ronaldo will earn £187 million from his Al Nassr deal after his contract extension in June 2025. His sponsorships and business ventures equate to a further £37 million in earnings for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. Ronaldo has endorsement deals with global brands including Lego, Nike, Panini and Whoop.
Future Outlook & Legacy
This year looks set to be his last at the top of Forbes' list of the highest-paid footballers, though. He revealed in August that he expects the current season to be his last, with his Al Nassr contract expiring next summer.
Ronaldo will turn 42 in February, having made his senior debut as a 17-year-old in August 2002. At present, he has scored 975 goals in 1,335 appearances for club and country as he closes in on his goal of 1,000 senior career goals.
Lionel Messi and Football's Financial Giants
As for Messi, the former Argentina captain's net worth is estimated to surpass the £1.5 billion mark next year. This is in part thanks to his £52 million-a-year Inter Miami salary following his contract extension in October 2025.
The 39-year-old is set to remain with the MLS side until the end of 2028, by which point he will have turned 41. His off-field endeavours also see the forward earn a further £56 million annually.
Messi has twice been named the world's highest-paid athlete in 2019 and 2022, with this year's list placing him third behind Ronaldo and legendary Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez.
Ronaldo and Messi have maintained an exceptional presence in football’s earnings rankings over the past decade. According to the report, the two players have occupied the top two positions on the list 12 times during the past 13 years.
Their continued financial prominence reflects the commercial appeal they have developed through successful playing careers, international recognition and endorsement agreements. While younger stars such as Mbappé, Haaland and Yamal are increasingly prominent in football’s commercial landscape, Ronaldo and Messi remain among the sport’s biggest earners.
For Ronaldo, the reported wealth milestone adds another chapter to a career that has combined sporting success with commercial expansion. Keep visiting www.jobsblogs.online.
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