The Methodology Behind The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes For 2026
Key takeaways
- Sports Money Editors' Pick The Methodology Behind The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes For 2026Golden Boot: Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr.
- For this year’s list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, Forbes tracked income earned between May 1, 2025, and May 1, 2026, based on conversations with dozens of industry executives, agents and other insiders.
- In cases where players continue to receive paychecks beyond May 1 for a regular season that is concluded by then—as in the NBA—Forbes assigns the full season of salary.
Sports Money Editors' Pick The Methodology Behind The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes For 2026Golden Boot: Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. and the rest of the world's 50 highest-paid athletes raked in a combined $4.1 billion over the past 12 months, according to Forbes estimates.Oscae Del Pozo/AFP/Getty Images By Brett Knight,
For this year’s list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, Forbes tracked income earned between May 1, 2025, and May 1, 2026, based on conversations with dozens of industry executives, agents and other insiders. Most asked to remain anonymous, but Forbes would like to acknowledge the motorsports data firm Formula Money. Forbes also consults news reports and salary databases such as Capology, Over the Cap and Spotrac. All figures are converted to U.S. dollars using current exchange rates.
The on-field earnings estimates are rounded to the nearest $100,000 and reflect prize money, salaries, bonuses and, in some situations with soccer players, club-based image rights agreements or playing wages subsidized by team or league sponsors. In cases where players continue to receive paychecks beyond May 1 for a regular season that is concluded by then—as in the NBA—Forbes assigns the full season of salary. Playoff compensation is included for the 2025 MLB and NFL seasons and the 2024-25 NBA season. Athletes are not credited for salary they forfeited during league-imposed suspensions.