Cristiano Ronaldo was the highest paid athlete in 2024 on a list which featured no women in the top 100
Cristiano Ronaldo was the highest paid athlete of 2024, according to a list compiled by Sportico, earning a reported $260 million, but no female athletes featured in the top 100.
Soccer star Ronaldo's impressive earnings came from $215 million in salary and winnings for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia and the Portugal national team, and $45 million through off-the-field endorsements.
The 40-year-old has enjoyed somewhat of a career renewal since moving to Saudi Arabia, scoring 82 goals in his 90 games for Al-Nassr and becoming the first man to have 900 career goals in September last year.
Ronaldo is one of three soccer players to feature in the top 10 after big-money moves to Saudi Arabia, joined by Neymar and Karim Benzema, though the Brazilian star has since moved back to his boyhood club, Santos.
In 2024, Ronaldo brought in over $100 million more than the second-placed athlete, with NBA superstar Steph Curry earning an estimated $153.8 million – $53.8 million through salary/winnings and $100 million through endorsements.
Although his Golden State Warriors had a disappointing end to last season, Curry was paramount in Team USA's basketball gold at the 2024 Olympics in Paris in the summer.
Top 10 earning athletes in 2024, according to sportico
Cristiano Ronaldo – $260M
Steph Curry – $153.8M
Tyson Fury – $147M
Lionel Messi – $135M
LeBron James – $133.2M
Neymar – $133M
Oleksandr Usyk – $122M
Karim Benzema – $116M
Kylian Mbappé – $110M
Jon Rahm – $105.8M Britain's Tyson Fury was in third with a reported $147 million in earnings – $140 million in salary/winnings and $7 million in endorsements – while Ronaldo's long-time on-the-pitch rival, Lionel Messi, came fourth with $135 million in estimated earnings – $60 million in salary/winnings and $75 million in endorsements.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James rounded out the top five at an estimated $133.2 million – $48.2 million in salary/winnings and $85 million in endorsements.
Dak Prescott was the top-earning NFL player, with the Dallas Cowboys quarterback reportedly earning $100.4 million to finish in 12th position. Jalen Hurts – quarterback of the Super Bowl LIX-winning Philadelphia Eagles – finished in 65th with $46.1 million.
While plenty of male athletes cashed in on their talents, no female athletes featured in the top 100.
US tennis sensation Coco Gauff was the highest-earning female athlete last year at an estimated $30.4 million, having won the doubles title at the French Open as well as the singles championship at the end-of-season WTA Finals. For reference, the final athlete on Sportico's top 100 list was former New York Giants and now Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones who earned $37.5 million.
The 20-year-old tennis star also made history by becoming the youngest Team USA flag bearer at the Olympics and the first tennis player to carry the flag for the US.
According to Sportico, the top 100 list includes athletes from eight sports and 27 countries. In total, those 100 earned $6.2 billion in total income in 2024, including $4.8 billion in salary and prize money and $1.4 billion from their endorsements away from the field.
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