On Friday, Forbes released it’s annual ranking of the highest-paid athletes on the planet, laying out the top 50 highest earners of 2026. Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo landed at No. 1 for the fourth year in a row while three NBA players landed in the top 10.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo, $300 million
2. Canelo Álvarez, $170 million
3. Lionel Messi, $140 million
4. LeBron James, $137.8 million
5. Shohei Ohtani, $127.6 million
6. Stephen Curry, $124.7 million
7. Jon Rahm, $107 million
8. Karim Benzema, $104 million
9. Kevin Durant, $103.8 million
10. Lewis Hamilton, $100 million
Boxing star Canelo Álvarez comes in at No. 2 while Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is the highest NBA player on the list at the fourth spot.
James may not have the highest on-court salary in the NBA, but his $85 million in off-court earnings make him the highest paid player in the league.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is the next hooper on the list at No. 6, recording nearly a 50/50 split when it comes to on-court and off-court earnings.
The third NBA player in the top 10 is Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant, who also has a fairly even split between both types of income.
The most intriguing entry on the list is Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei. Most of his on-field salary has been deferred to later on in his contract, but his plethora of off-field deals with companies in his home country of Japan are what propel all the way up to No. 5.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
