Cristiano Ronaldo Tops Forbes Highest-Paid Footballers List Again

Cristiano Ronaldo has once again secured the top position on Forbes’ highest-paid footballers list for the 2025-26 season, marking his sixth victory in the last decade. The 40-year-old Portuguese legend, who plays for Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr, will earn an estimated $280 million from combined on- and off-field earnings, more than double his nearest competitor’s income.

Saudi Arabia’s Dominance in Football Earnings

Ronaldo’s achievement comes just over a week after Bloomberg announced that he became football’s first billionaire. Saudi Arabia’s investment in football has reshaped the sport’s financial landscape, with three members of the top 10 highest-paid players now competing in the Saudi Pro League. Alongside Ronaldo, French Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema earns $104 million at Al Ittihad, while Senegalese forward Sadio Mane completes the Saudi trio at $54 million in eighth place.

Global Competition and League Representation

Lionel Messi claims second place with earnings of $130 million, primarily from off-field ventures with his Inter Miami contract. Despite the Premier League’s record £2.6 billion spending on transfers last summer, only two English players—Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah—crack the top 10. Spain’s La Liga leads with four representatives, including three Real Madrid stars: Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., and Jude Bellingham, alongside Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal at tenth place.

The world’s ten highest-paid footballers are collectively set to earn an estimated $945 million during the 2025-26 campaign, underscoring football’s unprecedented financial growth and the shift toward Middle Eastern investments.