The world’s 100 highest-paid athletes have been revealed and once again, no women made the list.
Dominated by male athletes from football, the NFL, basketball, golf and boxing, the top 100 names earned an estimated $6.05 billion in total income in 2025.
Unsurprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list, earning a total of $260 million across salary and endorsement deals.
Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez followed in second place, earning $137 million and Lionel Messi came in third with $130 million in earnings.
The list, published by Sportico, really drives home the systemic failures that keep women in sport out of earning more.
Coco Gauff, the US tennis star, was the highest-earning female athlete in 2025. She earned $31 million – a figure that pales in comparison to the 100th position on the list (New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby who earned $37.9 million).
Even as women’s sport grows in popularity and marketability, female athletes are still well behind men when it comes to salary, winnings and endorsement deals. Media coverage of women’s sport is also inadquate, and at times, it does more damage than good.
Research from the Victorian Government revealed recently that Australia’s women’s sporting industry is projected to be worth $49 billion in customer value over the next 15 years.
But in 2026, women in sport are still fighting for appropriate resources, support and funding, while their athletic performance is continually compared to men who have never known what it’s like to fight for basic rights in sports.
That’s not to mention the other disadvantages women in sport face. Online harm and trolling, a lack of research into women’s bodies and injury prevention, and being sexualised for simply doing what they love, women in sport come up against it.
Women continue to be underrepresented in sports administration, meaning they are not often in positions to make decisions about the support and funding female athletes deserve.
This issue is not isolated to one sport or one nation, it is pervasive. According to Sportico, the top 100 list of highest-earning athletes includes players from eight sports and 28 countries.