For the third consecutive year, no athlete managed to enter the list of the 50 highest paid athletes in the world prepared by Forbes. The absence once again put on the table the enormous economic difference that still exists between men’s and women’s sports, especially in salaries, broadcast rights and commercial contracts linked to the main professional leagues.
The limit to enter the ranking this year was set at $54.6 million dollarsa figure reached by the Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner. In contrast, the female athlete with the highest income in 2025 was the American Coco Gauffwho accumulated approximately $33 million dollars between awards, sponsorships, exhibitions and commercial agreements.
The last woman to appear on the world list was Serena Williams in 2023, thanks mainly to his advertising contracts during the final stage of his career. Since 2012, only three other athletes have managed to enter the top 50: Maria Sharapova, Li Na and Naomi Osaka. The latter maintains the all-time earnings record for a female athlete with $60 million recorded in 2021.
The report highlights that the economic growth of women’s sports has been accelerated in recent years. Teams in the WNBA and the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States sharply increased their market valuations, while the leagues improved their collective bargaining agreements and raised salary caps.
The current WNBA champions, Las Vegas Acesare valued at $420 million dollars, five years after being acquired for just 2 million. In the case of the NWSL, clubs have an average value close to $200 million dollars.
Television contracts and rights continue to make differences
Despite the growth, the numbers are still far from the most powerful men’s leagues. The WNBA earns about $281 million annually from its television deals, while the NBA generates nearly $7 billion from broadcast rights.
This difference directly impacts salaries. Caitlin Clark, the highest-paid women’s basketball player, earned an estimated $12.1 million in 2025. LeBron James, on the other hand, generated approximately $137.8 million during the same period.
The salary comparison is even broader. Clark earned about $78,000 last season and this year he earned $529,000, while James earned $52.6 million in salary during the 2025-26 NBA campaign.
In football there is also a marked gap. Cristiano Ronaldo received an estimated compensation of $235 million in the Saudi Professional League and reached total earnings of $300 million in the last 12 months. On the women’s side, Trinity Rodman signed a contract close to $2 million annually with the Washington Spirit, after the NWSL modified its salary rules to allow special agreements with players considered high impact.
Forbes also highlighted that women’s sports show signs of sustained growth off the court. Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese They generate at least $9 million each in commercial revenue and sponsorships, figures comparable to several NBA players.
In addition, Deloitte projects that elite women’s sports will reach revenues close to $3 billion this year, driven mainly by the increase in television rights and commercial interest in new figures.
⚽: Forbes magazine released the list of the 50 highest-paid athletes in the world, led by Cristiano Ronaldo for the fourth consecutive year, followed by the Mexican boxer Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez and in third place the Argentine Lionel Messi. pic.twitter.com/wSqQOBncil
— José Juan Vázquez (@josejuangelmx) Might perchance well perchance also neutral 22, 2026
Canelo Álvarez, the only Latin American who escorts Cristiano Ronaldo
The Forbes list also revealed the economic dominance of established figures in world sports. Cristiano Ronaldo tops the rankings with estimated earnings of $300 million over the past 12 months, driven primarily by his contract in the Saudi Professional League and his off-field business deals.
Behind the Portuguese appears the Mexican Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, who occupies second place with $170 million dollars, consolidating himself as the best-placed Latin American athlete after CR7.
The podium completes it Lionel Messi with $140 million dollars, while LeBron James, Shohei Ohtani, Stephen Curry, Jon Rahm, Karim Benzema, Kevin Durant and Lewis Hamilton They complete the top 10.
The classification also reflects the economic weight of disciplines such as football, basketball and boxing, as well as the enormous commercial capacity of athletes who combine million-dollar salaries with global sponsorships and personal businesses.
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