Ronaldo, Lebron James or Lionel Messi, who is the highest-paid sports star in the world this year?
The highest-paid athletes in 2025 have been revealed, and the numbers this year are up from last year’s.
Overall, the ten highest-paid athletes this year received $1.4 billion in wages and endorsements, which is $20m more than what athletes received last year.
As expected, the<u> usual suspects dominate th</u>e top ten this year. These are some of the biggest names in some of the sports you place bets on at <u>Housebets.</u>
From Cristiano Ronaldo to Lebron James, the top ten has all the names you can expect. Football (soccer) and basketball have three stars in the top ten, followed by Baseball with two athletes. Boxing has one star, same with the National Football League (NFL).
Outside the top ten, American sports stars dominated the list, with the NBA stars leading the way ahead of the NFL and international football stars. However, for the purpose of this piece, we are taking a look at the top 10.
In tenth place is Kevin Durant, who made about just over $100m in the last 12 months. Durant, who just recently got traded to the Houston Rockets from the Phoenix Suns, earned $51.4m in wages last year and added another $50m from his business and brand deals.
The 37-year-old is signed to American sports brand giant Nike and also recently bought a minority stake in PSG. In addition, Durant also owns a media company, Boardroom.
The man with one of the most lucrative contracts in sports history is number nine, earning $102.5m in the last 12 months.
Ohtani earned just $2.5 million on the pitch last 12 months, but that is because the remaining $680m of the 10-year $700m contract he signed will be paid from 2034-20243.
However, despite the deferred payments, Ohtani is still the face of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Los Angeles Dodgers star made a whopping $100m from business and endorsement deals.
His endorsement deals are on the same level as those of Roger Federer. Some of the brands associated with Ohtani are New Balance, Beats by Dre and Kose Skincare.
Benzema is no eight, thanks to his decision to join the lucrative Saudi Professional League. The former France international is one of the top football stars earning big rewards in Saudi Arabia.
Benzema earns a whopping $100m in Saudi Arabia every year, with only Cristiano Ronaldo earning more than him. In fact, just $4m of Benzema’s total earnings in the last 12 months came from brand deals.
Like Ohtani, Soto also signed a lucrative contract when he left the New York Yankees to join the New York Mets.
The 26-year-old Dominican Republic star signed a 15-year deal worth $765 million and earned a whopping $104 million in on-pitch earnings. Soto also has a couple of brand deals with the likes of Celsius Energy drink and Call of Duty.
Although Lebron James is the only billionaire on this list, it is still not enough to make him the highest-paid athlete in 2025.
Nonetheless, King James still made a whole lot in the last 12 months. The 40-year-old earned $48.8 million in wages, but made most of his money from business and brand deals.
James has a lifetime contract with Nike and deals with brands like Beats by Dre. The NBA all-time leading scorer also has a few investments, including one in tequila maker Lobos.
Messi may not be at the peak of his powers again, but he is still one of the biggest football stars in the world. The Inter Miami star is also one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, earning an astonishing $135 million in the last 12 months.
Messi earns $60m a year at Inter Miami, but part of that money is courtesy of the deal he signed with Apple. Off the pitch, Messi is still one of the most valuable sports stars. He has a lifetime deal with Adidas and also has a few businesses that fetch him money.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is the only NFL star on the list, thanks to the new deal he signed with the Cowboys.
Prescott signed a $240 million four-year extension with the Cowboys last year, and that put annual wages at around $60 million.
The 31-year-old made $127 million on-pitch earnings in the last 12 months after he agreed to restructure his contract to free up salary-cap space for the Cowboys.
Prescott also added about $10 million thanks to his deal with brands like Nike’s Jordan Brand and Dick’s Sporting Goods
Canelo Alvarez used to be the top dog in boxing, but he lost that crown to Fury last year. Fury was the highest-earning boxer last 12 months, thanks to the lucrative two-fight deal he signed to fight Oleksandr Usyk.
Although he lost both fights on points, Fury still walked away with about $140m from the two fights. In addition, he also made a couple of dollars from his deal with Netflix and his energy drink.
In second place is ‘three-point God’ Steph Curry, who made a whopping $156m in both on and off-pitch deals in the last 12 months.
Curry earns $56m annually from his deal with the Golden State Warriors, but it was his partnership with Under Armour that fetched him the most money.
The 37-year-old has a lifetime contract with the sportswear giants and also invested in Nirvana water.
The highest-paid athlete in 2025 is none other than Ronaldo. The Portugal captain tops the list for the third consecutive time and the fifth time in his career.
Ronaldo triggered the big move among international football stars to Saudi Arabia. He is still reaping the benefits as he earns about $200m yearly, although his contract with Al-Nassr has expired.
Away from the pitch, Ronaldo remains popular and marketable. He increased his off-pitch earnings by $15m this year. The Portuguese international has a lifetime contract with Nike and has a host of business investments.
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