Table showing the world's highest-paid athletes from May 1, 2022, to May 1, 2023. Christiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid athlete at $136 million in that time period, followed by Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé. Out of the top 10 highest-paid athletes, three are soccer players, three are basketball players, two are golfers, one is a tennis player and one is a boxer.