Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2025, according to a May 16 report from Forbes.
Mr. Ronaldo brings in an estimated $275 million annually before taxes and agent fees between his on-the-field salary and his business endeavors.
Forbes compiled athlete income data between May 1, 2024, and May 1, 2025. Read more about the methodology here.
Here are the physicians providing care for the highest-paid athletes in the world:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo ($275 million) plays soccer for the Portugues national team and Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. He has previously received medical care from Rodrigo Lasmar, MD, surgeon for the Brazil national team and Atlético-MG.
2. Stephen Curry ($156 million) plays for the Golden State Warriors, who are cared for by lead orthopedic surgeon Chris Lehman, MD, an orthopedic specialist at the Permanente Medical Group in Oakland, Calif. Mr. Curry has also previously received care from Steven Shin, MD, a hand surgery specialist at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan Jobe Surgery Center in Los Angeles.
3. Tyson Fury ($146 million) is a boxer from the United Kingdom. He receives care from Usman Sajjad, MD, who works with a number of U.K.-based boxers. Dr. Sajjad is a general practitioner at Churchtown Medical Centre in Southport, England.
4. Dak Prescott )$137 million) plays for the Dallas Cowboys, who are cared for by Daniel Cooper, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Dallas-based Carrell Clinic. Mr. Prescott has also been treated by Eugene Curry, MD, a foot and ankle specialist at Carrell Clinic.
5. Lionel Messi ($135 million) is a soccer player for Inter Miami, whose players are cared for by medical director Harlan Selesnick, MD, orthopedic surgeons Cary Chapman, MD, and Fernando Moya, MD, and primary care sports medicine specialists Luis Rodriguez, MD, Michael Swartzon, MD, and Alejandro Centurion, MD. The entire care team practices at Coral Gables, Fla.-based Baptist Health.
6. LeBron James ($133.8 million) plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are cared for by head team physician and director of orthopedic surgery Kristofer Jones, MD. Dr. Jones is an orthopedic surgeon at Los Angeles-based UCLA Health specializing in sports-related musculoskeletal injuries.
7. Juan Soto ($114 million) plays for the New York Mets, who are cared for by Kathryn McElheny, MD. Dr. McElheny was promoted to head team physician in 2021. She works at New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery as a primary care sports medicine physician. Lawrence Gulotta, MD, chief of the shoulder and elbow division at the Hospital for Special Surgery, is the team’s head orthopedist.
8. Karim Benzema ($104 million) is a soccer player for the Saudi Pro League’s Al-Ittihad. It is unclear who provides care for the team.
9. Shohei Ohtani ($102.5 million) plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are cared for by head team physician Neal ElAttrache, MD. Dr. ElAttrache is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles. He also serves as head team physician for the Los Angeles Rams. Dr. ElAttrache operated on Mr. Ohtani in September 2023 and again in 2024.
10. Kevin Durant ($101.4 million) plays for the Phoenix Suns, who are cared for by team physician Steven Erickson, MD. Dr. Erickson is the director of the division of sports medicine/concussion at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine-Phoenix, medical director for Banner Sports Medicine and Concussion Specialists, primary care chief of the Banner-UMC Phoenix Sports Medicine Center and program director for the College of Medicine-Phoenix’s Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship.
