This content lists out the top 10 highest paid or top-earning sports stars or athletes on the European continent. This chart only includes the sportsmen who belong to European countries by nationality. We made this list based on the overall on-field and off-field earnings in 2025. Also read, Top 10 Highest Paid Footballers 2026.
Top 10 Highest Paid European Athletes
| Player Name & Nationality | Sports | Overall Annual Earnings |
| Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) | Association Football (Soccer) | 275 Million USD |
| Tyson Fury (UK) | Boxing | 146 Million USD |
| Karim Benzema (FRA) | Association Football (Soccer) | 104 Million USD |
| Oleksandr Usyk (UKR) | Boxing | 101 Million USD |
| Jon Rahm (ESP) | Golf | 100 Million USD |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo (GRE) | Basketball (NBA) | 94.4 Million USD |
| Kylian Mbappe (FRA) | Association Football (Soccer) | 90 Million USD |
| Rory McIlroy (UK) | Golf | 87.9 Million USD |
| Lewis Hamilton (UK) | Auto Racing (Formula One) | 80 Million USD |
| Max Verstappen (NED) | Auto Racing (Formula One) | 78 Million USD |
Highest Earning Sportspersons in Europe
The top 10 list currently features athletes from 7 different countries and 5 different sports. There are athletes from the following nations:
- Portugal
- United Kingdom
- France
- Ukraine
- Spain
- Greece
- Netherlands
Meanwhile, the UK represents 3 different athletes within the top 10, and France represents 2 sportsmen. However, there is no female athlete in this chart.
Moreover, the following sports represent at least 1 player:
- Association Football (Soccer)
- Boxing
- Golf
- Basketball
- Auto Racing (Formula One)
Association Football (Soccer) represents the most number of athletes (3), meanwhile each of Boxing, Golf, and F1 has 2 athletes from respective sectors.
Highest Paid European Athlete
No doubt, Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid sportsperson in Europe. Although he currently plays in Asia (the Middle East), his nationality is Portuguese, which means he is the continent’s highest-earning player. Indeed, CR7 is the world’s top-earning athlete in 2025, says Forbes. Tyson Fury comes next with his 146 million USD income and is the top-earning European athlete to play an individual sport (boxing). The other boxer on this list is Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk. 2 Golfers make it into the list: Jon Rahm & Rory McIlroy. Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only NBA star to make it within Europe’s top 10 top-earning athletes.
