India, Jan. 15 -- Cristiano Ronaldo has maintained his position as the world's highest-paid athlete, ahead of second-placed Saul Canelo Alvarez and Lionel Messi (third). Mexican boxer Alvarez overtook several superstars like Messi to climb to second position. In 2025, he had a high-profile fight against American boxer Terence Crawford. Although he fell to a defeat, the guaranteed purse from the bout sent him to second position.

Meanwhile, Messi surged to third from fourth spot, only behind Canelo and Ronaldo. Dominican baseball ace Juan Soto recently bagged a huge contract with the New York Mets and is in fourth place. Soto's rise has sent LeBron James down to fifth place. James is the highest-ranked American athlete on the list.

Soto e...