Overview
- Cristiano Ronaldo leads the ranking at roughly $260 million in estimated 2025 earnings, with Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez second at $137 million.
- Lionel Messi ranks third at about $130 million, placing behind Álvarez on Sportico’s list.
- Figures cited in Mexican outlets attribute about $125 million of Álvarez’s total to base pay, with the remainder from sponsorships and commercial deals.
- Coverage links Álvarez’s surge to a multimillion-dollar arrangement to stage fights in Saudi Arabia associated with Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season.
- Sportico’s methodology aggregates salary, endorsements, incentives and bonuses, and its top 20 spans several sports with no Formula 1 driver in the top ten.