The long-standing rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continues to spark debate among fans worldwide. While Messi often leads in trophies and team success, Ronaldo now firmly commands the financial spotlight.
According to a report by Sporticore, Ronaldo has once again secured the top spot on the global earnings list for footballers, marking his third straight year at number one. The Al-Nassr superstar reportedly earned a staggering $260 million over the past year, setting a new benchmark in the sport.
“𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒐 𝑹𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒅𝒐’𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔,” 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉.
Ronaldo, Messi, and Neymar Trail as Income Gap Widens
A major share of Ronaldo’s income comes from his lucrative Saudi Pro League contract, which is believed to be worth around $200 million annually. The remaining $60 million flows from endorsements, sponsorships, and brand partnerships across multiple industries.
Lionel Messi, currently playing for Inter Miami, ranks significantly lower on the list, earning nearly half of Ronaldo’s total income. Despite this, Messi remains one of the most marketable athletes in the world, with strong global brand appeal.
“𝑴𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊’𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑹𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒅𝒐’𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆,” 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒔.
Neymar, meanwhile, saw a sharp drop in his earnings after his contract with Al-Hilal was terminated. His reported $37 million income in 2025 pushed him down to around 30th place, a steep fall from his previous top-six ranking.
Also Read: Bangladesh Rocked by Mid-Tournament Exit of Vice-Captain
