The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 25 And Under For 2026

Manchester City’s late push for this season’s Premier League championship fell just short, but even with the disappointing second-place finish, the team’s star striker has claimed a title of his own. With an estimated $80 million in income over the past 12 months—counting both his playing contract with the Sky Blues and his endorsements, appearances and memorabilia—Erling Haaland is the world’s highest-paid athlete 25 or younger. It’s just the latest accomplishment in a year full of them for the 25-year-old Norwegian, who also lands at No.

19 on Forbes’ 2026 list of the highest-paid athletes overall. In September, Haaland became the fastest player to 50 Champions League goals with a record-setting score in his 49th career game in the competition, and he crushed a Premier League mark three months later by netting his 100th league goal in his 111th appearance. Haaland will now have a chance to add to the accolades this summer at the World Cup, where he will be leading Norway in the country’s first appearance at the tournament since 1998—two years before he was born.

Haaland isn’t the only young athlete putting up big numbers, on and off the field. Five other phenoms 25 and under managed to crack the list of the world’s 50 highest-paid athletes: fellow soccer sharpshooter Vinicius Jr. , NBA stars Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham, and tennis rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Combined, the six athletes hauled in an estimated $384 million over the past 12 months before taxes and agent fees, with $239 million from their salaries, bonuses and prize money and $145 million from their business endeavors. Cunningham, Alcaraz and Sinner are making their first appearance on the list, helping nudge the average age of the top 50 athletes to 30, down from 31 last year and 33 in 2023. More athletes in the top 50 are now in their 20s than are 30 or older, the first time that has been the case since 2017.