Ronaldo earns twice as much as Messi, leading Forbes list for the 6th time

Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo once again tops Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes for the 2025-2026 season. Ronaldo is estimated to earn $280 million, double that of his rival Lionel Messi.

Cristiano Ronaldo once again tops Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid footballers - Photo: REUTERS

This is the sixth time in the past decade that Ronaldo has topped the Forbes list. His on- and off-field earnings are estimated at $280 million, more than double that of his second-place rival Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) with $130 million.

Next is former French international Karim Benzema, who earns $104 million a year thanks to his huge contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad. Senegalese striker Sadio Mane, Ronaldo's teammate at Al Nassr, earns about $54 million, ranking eighth.

The number of "rich" players from Saudi clubs in the top 10 has dropped by one compared to the same period last year, when Neymar left Al Hilal to return to Santos. The Brazilian star was third on Forbes ' list with $110 million in 2024-2025 but now earns just $38 million, mostly from off-field contracts. And of course he can't crack the top 10 this year.

Meanwhile, despite its power and wealth, the Premier League has only two players in the top 10: Manchester City striker Erling Haaland ranked fifth with $80 million and Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah ranked seventh with $55 million.

Spain's La Liga is the league with the most representatives in the top 10, including three Real Madrid players: Kylian Mbappe ($95 million, ranked fourth), Vinicius ($60 million, ranked sixth) and Jude Bellingham ($44 million, ranked ninth).

Barcelona's teenage star Lamine Yamal also made the top 10 with $43 million. "In total, the world's 10 highest-paid soccer players earned an estimated $945 million last season," Forbes said.

Top 10 highest-paid soccer players in 2025 - According to Forbes data

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ronaldo-thu-nhap-gap-doi-messi-lan-thu-6-dan-dau-danh-sach-cua-forbes-20251017053921045.htm