Cristiano Ronaldo Ties Mayweather with $300 Million Haul as Top Athletes Earn $1.4 Billion

Forbes’ 2026 list of the world’s highest-paid athletes shows Cristiano Ronaldo leading a group of 10 superstars who collectively earned $1.4 billion over the past year. The 41-year-old Portuguese soccer star’s $300 million haul ties Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s 2015 record for the largest earnings by an active athlete in Forbes history.

Ronaldo has now topped the ranking six times, including the last four years straight, tying Michael Jordan for the second-most years at No. 1. Only Tiger Woods has more.

Three athletes aged 40 or older made the list: Ronaldo, Lewis Hamilton, and LeBron James. Shohei Ohtani set an MLB record with $127.6 million. The NBA dominated with 20 spots, while no woman has ranked in the top 50 for three consecutive years.