Cristiano Ronaldo has secured the top position on Forbes’ highest-paid footballers list for the 2025-26 season, marking his sixth time claiming the crown since 2015 and cementing his status as the sport’s financial powerhouse.
Record-Breaking Earnings Gap
The 40-year-old Al Nassr striker’s estimated $280 million in combined on-field and off-field income more than doubles rival Lionel Messi’s $130 million, which predominantly derives from commercial ventures rather than his Inter Miami salary. Bloomberg recently corroborated Ronaldo’s position as football’s wealthiest active player.
Saudi Arabia’s Financial Influence
French striker Karim Benzema ranks third with $104 million annually from Al Ittihad, while Ronaldo’s Al Nassr teammate Sadio Mane occupies eighth place at $54 million. The Saudi Pro League’s representation in the top ten has decreased by one following Neymar’s January departure to Santos, where his earnings dropped dramatically from $110 million to $38 million—primarily from endorsement deals.
European Leagues in the Rankings
Despite the English Premier League’s record-breaking £2.6 billion ($3.5 billion) summer transfer expenditure, only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (fifth) and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (seventh) crack the top ten. La Liga leads with four representatives: Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé (fourth), Vinícius Júnior (sixth), and Jude Bellingham (ninth), plus Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal (tenth at $43 million).
Collective Wealth
Forbes projects the world’s ten highest-earning footballers will collectively generate approximately $945 million during the 2025-26 campaign, highlighting the sport’s unprecedented commercial growth and the transformative impact of Middle Eastern investment in global football economics.
