World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2026

About This Dataset

Cristiano Ronaldo's earnings are dominated by his Al-Nassr contract, the largest in football history, rather than by endorsements, which is a reversal of how the top of this list usually looks. Shohei Ohtani's deal is structured unusually: most of his Dodgers salary is deferred without interest until after the contract ends. Totals combine salary, prize money and off-field income.

Key Findings

Auto-computed highlights from this dataset

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Cristiano Ronaldo leads with 300 in 2026.

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Average value in 2026: 175 · median: 140.

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Gap in 2026: Cristiano Ronaldo is 2.4× larger than Shohei Ohtani.