The list, released last weekend by Forbesrevealed that the 40-year-old forward earned $275 million over the past 12 months, up $15 million from the previous period. Of that, $225 million came from salary and bonuses with his Saudi club Al Nassr, while $50 million came from off-field ventures such as endorsements and business deals.

Ronaldo is now the first athlete in history to lead Forbes’ ranking five times. His $275 million is also the third-highest one-year earnings ever recorded by an athlete, trailing only Floyd Mayweather’s $300 million in 2015 and $285 million in 2018, both earned through blockbuster boxing matches with Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor.

What stands out even more is the income gap between Ronaldo and the second-highest earner on the list, NBA star Stephen Curry. The 37-year-old Golden State Warriors point guard earned $156 million, just 57% of Ronaldo’s income.

Lionel Messi, Ronaldo’s long-time rival, dropped two places to fifth this year, earning $135 million. Of that, $60 million came from salary and bonuses, while $75 million came from endorsements, unchanged from the previous year.

Karim Benzema is the only other footballer in the top 10, ranking with $104 million. The Al Ittihad captain earned $100 million in salary and $4 million from other sources.

The rest of the top 10 includes basketball stars LeBron James, who earned $134 million and Kevin Durant with $101 million; baseball players Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani with $114 million and $103 million respectively, boxer Tyson Fury with $146 million and NFL quarterback Dak Prescott, who earned $137 million.

Forbes, founded in 1917, is a leading American business magazine known for its rankings, including “Forbes 400,” “The World’s Most Powerful People,” and “Global 2000.”