Cristiano Ronaldo has once again topped football’s global earnings chart, pulling in more than twice the income of long-time rival Lionel Messi, according to Forbes.
The Portuguese star’s staggering total of $280million (£220million) cements his place as the sport’s highest-paid player for another year, with $230m of that sum earned on the pitch through his Al Nassr contract.
Now 40, Ronaldo continues to defy expectations both financially and on the field.
Earlier this week, he scored twice in Portugal’s 2-2 draw with Hungary, breaking the all-time record for World Cup qualifying goals.
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His tally of 41 takes him past former Guatemala striker Carlos Ruiz, who held the previous record with 39.
Messi sits third on that list with 36 goals for Argentina, followed by Iran’s Ali Daei on 35 and Poland’s Robert Lewandowski on 32.
Ronaldo’s career total now stands at 948 goals, including 143 for Portugal, a figure unmatched in football history.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are now in the twilight years of their footballing careers
| GETTYMessi trails with 875, though the Argentine continues to lead in commercial earnings.
His overall income of $130m with Inter Miami includes $70m in sponsorships and endorsements, the highest off-field figure in the sport.
Forbes’ 2025 rich list reveals a generational shift, with younger players increasingly featuring among football’s top earners.
Jude Bellingham makes Forbes' list of the best-paid footballers
| GETTYEngland’s Jude Bellingham, 22, is a new entrant at ninth, earning an estimated $44m (£34.6m), including $15m from commercial partnerships.
Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal, just 18, follows close behind with $43m (£33m) after signing a lucrative new six-year deal and expanding his sponsorship portfolio following a breakout season.
Sadio Mané also makes a surprise return to the list, ranked eighth with $54m after joining Al Nassr, where his $50m playing contract keeps him among the sport’s elite earners.
The top five remains dominated by household names, with Karim Benzema on $104m, Kylian Mbappé on $95m, and Erling Haaland on $80m following Ronaldo and Messi.
Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior ranks seventh with $60m, just ahead of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah on $55m.
Forbes noted that the average age of the world’s ten richest footballers has fallen below 30 for the first time in five years, reflecting a new financial landscape in which younger stars now command record-breaking salaries and global sponsorship appeal.
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Cristiano Ronaldo is still going strong at the age of 40
| REUTERSBellingham’s inclusion comes at a mixed moment for the England international, who was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad amid questions over discipline and form.
Tuchel said his expectations of players were “non-negotiable.”
He added: “If we invite them, we are sure they will buy in. If not, we will not invite them. This is non-negotiable.”
The England manager hinted that he would speak with Bellingham before naming his next squad, describing him as “an important player.”
Tuchel said his current group “have the reward and they feel the reward,” insisting that absences were “not a punishment” but a reflection of standards that must be maintained.
As for Ronaldo, his dominance shows no sign of fading. Nearly two decades after first topping the Forbes list, the veteran forward remains both football’s highest earner and its most enduring global icon.