Cristiano Ronaldo Outpaces Messi, Mbappé for World's Highest-Paid Soccer Player

Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid footballers for the 2025-26 season at $280 million, leading a group of 10 players earning a combined $945 million. Longtime rival Lionel Messi ranks second with $130 million. Karim Benzema ($104 million), Kylian Mbappé ($95 million), and Erling Haaland round out the top five, with Haaland’s recent contract extension boosting his total earnings to $80 million. Rising star Lamine Yamal also makes the list at No. 10, with the earnings cutoff jumping to $43 million.

Solange Knowles has been named the first-ever scholar-in-residence at USC‘s Thornton School of Music, beginning a three-year residency focused on music curation. In collaboration with her Saint Heron collective and USC faculty, she will teach a course launching in Fall 2027, host student workshops, and contribute to long-term academic planning. Her work will also include a discussion on women in classical music at an upcoming USC symposium.

The WNBA confirmed Thursday that Chicago will host the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game on July 25 at the United Center, marking the Windy City’s second time hosting the event. Leading up to the game, fans can enjoy a range of activities, including the 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge on July 24 at Wintrust Arena, a fan festival at McCormick Place, and community events focused on youth engagement throughout the city and at the Chicago Sky’s new practice facility in Bedford Park.

Giuseppe Marsocci has been appointed the new CEO of the Giorgio Armani Group, effective immediately; he will also join the Board of Directors. A longtime executive with over 35 years in the fashion and luxury industry, 23 of them at Armani, Marsocci previously served as deputy managing director and global chief commercial officer at the company. He was unanimously proposed by the Armani Foundation and will report to the board chaired by Dell’Orco, with Silvana Armani set to become vice president.

Amazon MGM Studios‘ United Artists and producer Scott Stuber have acquired Lizard Music, a film based on Daniel Pinkwater’s novel, with Dwayne Johnson set to star and Benny Safdie directing and writing the script. The deal follows the success of Safdie and Johnson’s film The Smashing Machine, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, earning Safdie the Best Director award. Lizard Music tells the story of a boy who discovers a mysterious late-night broadcast of lizards playing strange music, unlocking a door to a surreal and extraordinary world.

The opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, titled “Armonia” (Harmony), will take place on Feb. 6 at San Siro Stadium, with organizers aiming to create a “shared experience” for all athletes, including incorporating all four competition areas – Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Valtellina, and Val di Fiemme – into the ceremony. Italian actress Matilda De Angelis will serve as one of the narrative voices, and there will also be a special tribute to the late Giorgio Armani. The closing ceremony will be held on Feb. 22 at the historic Verona Arena.

Apple and NBCUniversal unveiled a new Apple TV and Peacock bundle on Thursday, launching Oct. 20. The bundle combines both platforms’ content – including Ted Lasso, Severance, The Traitors, NBA games, and upcoming films like F1: The Movie – into a single subscription. U.S. customers can subscribe for $14.99/month (Peacock Premium) or $19.99/month (Peacock Premium Plus), saving over 30%. Apple One Family and Premier plan subscribers can also get an exclusive 35% discount on Peacock Premium Plus, marking the first such offer for Apple’s all-in-one subscription.

FIFA announced Thursday that over 1 million tickets have already been sold for the 2026 World Cup, with the highest demand coming from the host countries – the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Buyers from 212 countries and territories have purchased tickets, despite only 28 of the 48 teams being confirmed thus far. The top 10 purchasing countries also include England, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, and France.

MLB Players, Inc., the for-profit subsidiary of the Players Association, and memorabilia platform The Realest have partnered to launch a new line of player-licensed collectibles blending baseball, music, and art. To debut the pieces, they’re opening a pop-up gallery in Shibuya, Tokyo, from Oct. 16-21, featuring curated artwork and a vinyl collection titled The Players’ Greatest Hits. It pays tribute to the walk-up songs of stars like Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Mookie Betts. Designed by The Realest founder DJ Skee, the project celebrates Japan’s baseball culture.

The U.S. Mint has unveiled the 2026 design for its $1 Innovation coin featuring late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. The coin shows a young Jobs sitting cross-legged in front of a Northern California landscape, symbolizing the environment that inspired his vision of making tech intuitive and organic. Part of the American Innovation series, the coin will sell for $13.25.

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