Our Terms & Conditions | Our Privacy Policy
Five young stars each hauled in at least $55 million over the past year—two from the NFL, two from European soccer, and one who could be the next face of the NBA.
Selected first in 2021’s NFL draft after a college career at Clemson that included a national championship and a runner-up finish in Heisman Trophy voting, Trevor Lawrence began his pro career with supercharged expectations. So far, things haven’t gone quite as planned, with the 25-year-old Lawrence posting a 22-38 record as the starting quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But if he isn’t yet living up to the billing as a franchise player, Lawrence at least has the contract of one: a five-year, $275 million deal he signed last June that came with a $37.5 million signing bonus paid upfront as well as a $35 million option bonus he collected this year.
Those paydays, plus a strong endorsement portfolio, helped Lawrence haul in an estimated $80.5 million over the past 12 months, landing him at No. 21 on the list of the world’s 50 highest-paid athletes—and making him the top earner 25 or younger.
Only four other athletes in that age bracket reached the $53.6 million cutoff necessary for inclusion in this year’s ranking: Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. Combined, the five sports stars brought in an estimated $332 million over the last 12 months (before taxes and agent fees), with $273 million from salaries and bonuses and another $59 million from sponsorships, appearances and other business endeavors.
That level of earning power is especially impressive considering sports leagues—particularly in the United States—have erected barriers specifically to reduce younger athletes’ wages. In the NBA and the NFL, for instance, salary scales tied to players’ draft position determine what they can take home and keep them well under market value for their first few years as professionals. MLB’s service-time system is even more restrictive, generally requiring players to spend six years in the big leagues—on top of their time in the minors—before they’re eligible for big money.
Illustration by Neil Jamieson for Forbes
World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2025
VIEW THE FULL LIST
With those hurdles in place, only 21 of this year’s 50 highest-paid athletes are under 30, and the average age of the list is 31. Still, with new blood entering the ranking—including Lawrence, Jefferson, Edwards and Vinicius—that figure has dropped over the past couple of years, from roughly 33 years old in 2023.
Here’s why, for these five 20-somethings, sports are a young man’s game.
#1 • $80.5M
Sport: Football | Age: 25 | Nationality: U.S. | On-Field: $74.5 million | Off-Field: $6 million
Perry Knotts/Getty Images
After a Pro Bowl season in 2022 and a statistically similar 2023, Lawrence had a tougher 2024, posting a 2-8 record as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ starting quarterback in a campaign cut short by a shoulder injury and a concussion. But the team has made sweeping changes to its front office and its roster, adding an exciting new target for Lawrence in first-round draft pick Travis Hunter, who is expected to play wide receiver as well as cornerback. Off the field, Lawrence is among the top-earning NFL players and has long-term partnerships with nine brands, including American Eagle, Ritz Crackers and EverBank, whose name adorns the Jaguars’ stadium.
#2 • $72.2M
Sport: Football | Age: 25 | Nationality: U.S. | On-Field: $68.2 million | Off-Field: $4 million
Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images
The four-year, $140 million extension Jefferson signed with the Minnesota Vikings last June set an NFL record for highest average annual contract value for a wide receiver. The deal has since been surpassed by the Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase—who signed for four years and $161 million in March—but wherever he lands in the financial hierarchy, Jefferson has earned it. The 2020 first-round draft pick has been named to the Pro Bowl four times and piled up 7,432 receiving yards, the most ever in a player’s first five seasons. Jefferson is also one of the few non-quarterbacks in the NFL earning millions off the field, working with brands like Bose, Oakley and Visa.
#3 • $62.1M
Sport: Basketball | Age: 23 | Nationality: U.S. | On-Field: $42.1 million | Off-Field: $20 million
Kelsey Grant/Getty Images
Edwards led the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of this year’s NBA playoffs and past the Golden State Warriors in the second round—ousting the league’s two highest-paid players, Stephen Curry and LeBron James, from the same postseason. This run will wrap up the first year of a contract extension that Edwards signed in 2023, which guaranteed him roughly $204 million over five years and gained an additional $41 million in total value when he triggered an escalator by being named to the all-NBA second team last season. Edwards has had to give some of the money back, however: He has been fined $514,000 by the NBA this season, the most in the league, according to Spotrac. Off the court, Edwards reportedly extended his shoe deal with Adidas in July, and he appeared in Netflix’s NBA docuseries Starting 5 last year. He followed it up by launching his own docuseries on his YouTube channel in February.
#4 • $62M
Sport: Soccer | Age: 24 | Nationality: Norway | On-Field: $48 million | Off-Field: $14 million
Ian Hodgson/Associated Press
Haaland is the only member of the 25-and-under earnings ranking who appeared on last year’s list, but he has a new contract in hand after leading the Premier League in goals in each of his first two seasons in England. In January, the 24-year-old striker, who was under contract at Manchester City until 2027 but had drawn interest from Spanish powerhouses Real Madrid and Barcelona, signed an extension that ties him to the Blues until 2034. Haaland supplements his on-field pay with several sponsorships in his native Norway as well as a lucrative shoe deal with Nike.
#5 • $55M
Sport: Soccer | Age: 24 | Nationality: Brazil | On-Field: $40 million | Off-Field: $15 million
Diego Souto/Getty Images
Named the Best FIFA Men’s Player for 2024, Vinicius has seen his goal total dip a bit this season—to 11 in La Liga play, from 15 in 2023-24—after Real Madrid signed star striker Kylian Mbappé. But Vinicius was as valuable as ever before injuring his ankle this month, earning Player of the Tournament honors at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in December and wearing the captain’s armband for Los Blancos for the first time in a February game. One of the most popular players in his native Brazil, Vinicius also has a growing endorsement portfolio, promoting partners like Gatorade and Pepsi as well as tourism to Dubai.
METHODOLOGY
Information about the methodology Forbes uses to compile this list, which captures income the athletes collected between May 1, 2024, and May 1, 2025, can be found here.
With additional reporting by Justin Birnbaum.
More From Forbes
Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.
Aggregated From –
Comments are closed.