According to the latest data released by Forbes, Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo has once again topped the global footballers’ earnings list for the 2025–26 season, marking the sixth time he has claimed this honor in the past decade. Notably, three players in this year’s top ten are currently playing in the Saudi Pro League.
The 40-year-old Ronaldo, who was certified last week by Bloomberg as football’s first billionaire, amassed a staggering $280 million in total income on and off the pitch—more than double the $130 million earned by second-place Lionel Messi. It is worth noting that the majority of Messi’s income comes from off-field endorsements, while his salary at Inter Miami in the United States accounts for a relatively small portion.
The third spot on the earnings list is held by former Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema of France, who earns $104 million annually thanks to a lucrative contract with Saudi club Al-Ittihad. The third Saudi Pro League player in the top ten is Ronaldo’s teammate, Senegalese forward Sadio Mané, who ranks eighth with an annual income of $54 million.
Compared with last year, the number of Saudi league players in the top ten decreased by one, as Brazilian star Neymar left Al-Hilal in January to return to his youth club Santos. Last year, Neymar ranked third with $110 million in earnings; this year, his income dropped sharply to $38 million, mostly derived from off-field endorsement deals.
Despite the English Premier League setting a record summer transfer expenditure of approximately $3.5 billion, only two players from the league made the top ten: Manchester City forward Erling Haaland ranks fifth with $88 million, and Liverpool’s Egyptian star Mohamed Salah ranks seventh with $55 million.
Notably, La Liga emerged as the biggest winner on this year’s list, with four players featured. This includes Real Madrid’s trio of stars: Kylian Mbappé (fourth), Vinícius Júnior (sixth), and Jude Bellingham (ninth), as well as Barcelona’s 17-year-old prodigy Amr, who makes his debut on the list in tenth place with $43 million in earnings.
Forbes emphasized in a statement: “The total projected earnings of the world’s top ten footballers in the 2025–26 season will reach $945 million, setting a new historical record.”
