Ronaldo. Credit: Getty Image via Goal.com
Cristiano Ronaldo has extended his dominance at the summit of global sports earnings after being named the world’s highest-paid athlete for a sixth time, including four consecutive years at No. 1.
According to Forbes on Sunday, the 41-year-old Portuguese forward’s latest ranking places him among the most consistently dominant earners in the history of professional sport, with only NBA legend Michael Jordan (six times) and golf icon Tiger Woods (11 times) having spent more time at No. 1.
Forbes noted that Ronaldo’s latest achievement further underlines his sustained position at the top of the earnings ladder, saying he has now matched Jordan’s tally for the second-most years as the world’s highest-paid athlete since the ranking began in 1990.
The report stated that “the 41-year-old Ronaldo’s 2026 total ties him with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s haul from 2015 for the largest for an active athlete ever tracked by Forbes, dating to 1990 (unadjusted for inflation).”
