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Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's highest-paid athlete — again© Getty Images

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Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's highest-paid athlete — again

Ronaldo beat many world renowned athletes, including Lionel Messi, Stephen Curry, and more


Maria Loreto
Senior Writer
MAY 16, 2025 5:59 PM EDT

Cristiano Ronaldo knows what he's doing. For the third year in a row, Ronaldo has been named the highest-paid athlete in the world, beating legends like Lionel Messi, Floyd Mayweather, and more. 

Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez have been living in Saudi Arabia for the past couple of years© Getty Images
Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez have been living in Saudi Arabia for the past couple of years

Ronaldo's net worth was reported by Forbes, which claims that Ronaldo earns $275 million before taxes and agent fees from his salary as a player in the Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr and his many business ventures. 

Ronaldo has retained this spot and beat out athletes from all over the world, including Stephen Curry, the highest-paid NBA athlete, who made $156 million. 

Another interesting fact that Forbes notes is the fact that many of the highest-paid athletes have ties to Saudi Arabia, including Ronaldo himself, Messi, who has a sponsorship deal to promote tourism in the country, and Karim Benzema, who is also based in the country and plays for the team Al-Ittihad. 

Lionel Messi returned from an injury last week© Getty Images
Messi is also one of the highest paid athletes in the world

Ronaldo's many business deals

Over the past decade, Ronaldo has joined in on many businesses that have jump-started his net worth. Over the past year, Ronaldo became an investor in various tech companies, including Whoop, a wearable fitness device, and supplement brand Bionic

He's also making moves in the entertainment world, creating a film studio with director Matthew Vaughn called UR•Marv. “This is an exciting chapter for me, as I look ahead to new ventures in business,” said Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo© Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA
Ronaldo is currently playing for Al Nassr

Vaughn, a seasoned action director, revealed just how much he respected Ronaldo in a statement. “Cristiano has created stories on the pitch that I could never have written,” he said. “And I look forward to creating inspiring movies with him—he’s a real-life superhero.”

Ronaldo also launched a flourishing YouTube channel where he shares personal videos that explore his career, his family, and his partner, Georgina Rodriguez. He's launched collaborations with YouTube giant MrBeast and has even broadcast a live padel tournament. As of this writing, he has 75 million subscribers. 

Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's highest-paid athlete — again© Getty Images
Cristiano Ronaldo has been making some smart investments

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