He turns 41 years old this Thursday, but he is by far the athlete who earns the most millions worldwide. Over the last nine years, CR7 has guaranteed at least 85 million euros per year.
Cristiano Ronaldo turns 41 today but there is no identity card that prevents the Portuguese star, not only from adding millions to his already large bank account, but also from being the one who earns the most among sportsmen.
According to calculations by Sportico, the informative website specializing in the economics of sport, the Portuguese footballer continues to be the athlete who receives the most money worldwide, for the third consecutive year.
Valued at 12 million euros, the footballer, who is still represented by Gestifute, has a contract with the Saudi side Al-Nassr until 2027 and it is precisely this link that guarantees Cristiano Ronaldo the largest share of income: 200 million dollars per year (170.6 million euros).
To the huge contract that Cristiano Ronaldo has guaranteed for another year and a half with the Saudis, there is another 60 million dollars per year (51.1 million euros) coming from the brands that choose CR7 to reach more and more consumers.
Sportico details that Cristiano Ronaldo raised at least 100 million dollars (85.2 million euros) over nine years and that currently, the Portuguese has more than ten collaborations with reference brands such as Nike, Herbalife, Binance, Perplexity, Yili and Therabody. More recently, the Portuguese star invested in the Spanish MMA (mixed martial arts) league, known as WOW FC.
The podium is completed with the presence of Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez who, with the four contracts signed for four fights in 2025, closed 2025 with 137 million dollars (125 million for four fights and 12 million in advertising contracts. Finally, Leo Messi. The Argentine earns 130 million dollars and half of that amount comes from sponsorships.
Overall, the 100 athletes who secured the most millions in 2025 raised 6,050 million dollars, 2.1% less than last year’s record. For the third year in a row there is no woman in the “top 100”.
