Sportico released its ranking of the highest-paid athletes for 2025. Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list with earnings of 260 million dollars, followed by Saúl Álvarez and Lionel Messi. The football player disclosed that his most significant purchase was an airplane.
Data regarding the top-earning sportspersons for 2025 has been published. The relevant survey was conducted by the Sportico publication.
The Portuguese forward for the club “Al-Nassr,” Cristiano Ronaldo, achieved the most substantial income this year. Over 2025, the 40-year-old athlete increased his wealth by 260 million dollars. For the third consecutive year, the Portuguese footballer’s earnings surpass 200 million dollars.
The second spot on the list was secured by Mexican boxer Saúl Álvarez with earnings of 137 million dollars across 2025. In third place was another footballer, Lionel Messi, who garnered 130 million dollars. The fourth position in the ranking belongs to baseball player Juan Soto with an income of 129.2 million dollars, and occupying the fifth spot is basketball player LeBron James with a result of 128.7 million dollars.
In November 2025, Cristiano Ronaldo shared details about the most meaningful acquisition in his life during an interview with journalist Piers Morgan. According to the footballer, his costliest acquisition is an airplane, which he bought 13 years ago.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or. His record includes:
five UEFA Champions League victories,
championship titles won in England, Spain, and Italy.
Together with the national team of Portugal, he became the European champion in 2016, also winning silver and bronze medals at the continental championship and securing the UEFA Nations League title in 2019.
Earlier, we reported that the Portuguese club “Casa Pia” found itself amidst a controversy due to accusations of violating EU sanctions. The club is implicated in conducting financial transactions through a company based in the UAE during the sale of player Filipe Cardoso to the Russian club “Akhmat.” This incident has once again drawn attention to issues of sanctions evasion and financial manipulations in global football.
About the Author
