Only one footballer earned more money last year than Tyson Fury
The former two-time heavyweight champion was rewarded handsomely despite his two defeats to long-time rival Oleksandr Usyk last year
Despite a year to forget inside the boxing ring for Tyson Fury, the 'Gypsy King' is not short of a bob or two.
In May 2024, after months of anticipation, the Morecambe scrapper went toe-to-toe in the ring with Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title. In a tight affair, it was the Ukrainian who handed Fury the first loss of his professional career after scoring a split decision win in the Middle East.
Seven months later, the pair would do for a second time. Round one - or round 13 to many - saw Fury completely change his approach, hunting for the kill early doors. However, despite his aggressive style, it still was not enough to dethrone the Ukrainian brawler. Just weeks after losing to Usyk for a second time, the 'Gypsy King' announced his shock retirement from the sport.
Earlier this year, Forbes announced the world’s 10 highest-paid athletes in 2025 - with Fury sitting comfortably in third, earning a whopping total of $146 million (£109m) with $140m (£104m) coming 'on-field,' whilst pocketing $6m (£5m) 'off-field.' Despite the Middle East’s influence in the footballing world, only one footballer sits above the heavyweight behemoth.
Al-Nassr forward and former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list with $275m (£205m). The Portugal forward has expanded his portfolio over the last few months, adding investments in Whoop, Vista Alegre and supplement brand Bioniq. Earlier this month, the 40-year-old became football’s first-ever billionaire after signing a blockbuster new contract in Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo is now set to bank around £492m over the next two years - with that amount having seen him surpass the billion pound mark. According to Bloomberg, the forward's net worth has now risen to $1.4billion (£1.045bn) which sees him become the first-ever footballer to do that. Furthermore, Forbes estimates the ex-Red Devils sensation will earn $230m (£171) from Al-Nassr during the 2025-26 season. On top of that, he is expected to collect an extra $50m (£37m) from partners including Nike, Binance and Herbalife.
After signing his new contract, he said: "Of course, we [the Saudi Pro League] are still improving but I believe that in this moment that we are in top five [leagues in the world ] already. I still believe that we will continue to improve, and we have time and we have shown in the last two years that the league is going up all the time.
"I am happy because I know that the league is very competitive. Only the people who have never played in Saudi, they don't understand nothing about football say this league is not top five [in the world]. I believe 100% in my words, and the people that play in this league they know what I am talking about."
Sandwiched in between Ronaldo and Fury is NBA star Stephen Curry. The 37-year-old penned a one-year $62.6 million extension that ties him down to the Golden State Warriors through the 2026-27 season. In total, Curry picked up a grand total of $156m (£116m). Top NFL talent Dak Prescott finds himself in fourth, whilst Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi completes the top five. The World Cup winner earned a staggering $135m (£100m). His endorsement deals with brands such as Adidas, Lay’s and Mastercard have only helped him financially over the last year.
