Revealing the Athlete Wealth List: Who is the richest 40-year-old star?

The 40-year-old Ronaldo won 2 billion yuan, the undefeated myth of the "money printing machine" in the sports world.

The 2025 Forbes athlete income list was announced. Ronaldo, 40, dominated the list for three consecutive years with an annual income of US$275 million, and ranked the world's most money-making athlete for the fifth time, continuing the wealth legend with a fault-like advantage.

Outside the green field, Ronaldo's business territory can be regarded as "crazy growth". After moving to the Victory Club in Riyadh in 2023, he received a sky-high annual salary of up to 200 million euros, adding another heavy weight to the accumulation of wealth during the golden period of his career. What's even more amazing is that the lifelong endorsement agreement he signed with Nike is worth more than $1 billion, and this "making money while lying down" contract is richer than the total salary of all competitions in his career.

Relying on top traffic and commercial value, Ronaldo's endorsement matrix spans 31 fields such as sports equipment, cars, and beauty. The personal brand CR7 has made a strong breakthrough, covering more than 50 overseas markets in just two years, contributing millions of dollars in revenue every year, and has 939 million social media fans. Each of his dynamics is worth 2.67 million pounds, and he can make money every day with just a finger.

From Manchester United's genius boy to Real Madrid's Champions League king, to the creator of today's business empire, Ronaldo has proved that the value of top athletes has never been limited to the arena. He wrote a textbook on the cross-border integration of sports and business with his strength. Every income is a witness to strength and influence, and it inspires countless people to break the boundaries and pursue infinite possibilities.