Czech and Slovak athletes top earnings list shows hockey star David Pastrňák leads

Forbes' 2026 ranking of the highest‑earning athletes in the Czech Republic and Slovakia places NHL forward David Pastrňák at the top of the Czech list with a reported 275 million CZK (about €11.3 million) in annual earnings. Slovak football captain Milan Škriniar follows in the Slovak ranking, earning roughly €10 million a year, while his compatriot Juraj Slafkovský, a hockey forward in Montreal, receives about €6.6 million.

The Czech table is dominated by hockey and football, with 12 hockey players, six footballers, five tennis players and two poker professionals making the top 25. Notable Czech tennis earners include Linda Nosková and Karolína Muchová, each with earnings above €2.5 million, and poker player Martin Kabrhel with €3 million. In Slovakia, the top ten comprises six footballers and four hockey players, highlighting the sports' financial prominence in both countries.