In numbers... List of the highest-paid athletes in the world
ArabiaWeather - In 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list of the highest-paid athletes in the world, achieving total profits of $260 million, and most of these profits came from his contract with the Saudi Al-Nasr Club, in addition to sponsorship and advertising deals that brought him an additional $60 million.
Spaniard John Rahm came in second place with total profits of $218 million, thanks to his move to the Saudi-backed golf league.
As for Lionel Messi, he ranked third, with his total earnings reaching $135 million after moving to Inter Miami in the American Professional League, while no woman was included in Forbes’ list of the 50 highest-paid athletes for the first time since 2019.
Forbes' ranking methodology is based on conversations with industry insiders, news reports and salary databases such as Spotrac, and converts all numbers to US dollars at the current exchange rate.
See also: Ranking of the 10 highest-paid athletes of all time
List of the highest-paid athletes in the world
- Cristiano Ronaldo (soccer) – $260 million
- Jon Rahm (golf) – $218 million
- Lionel Messi (soccer) – $135 million
- LeBron James (basketball) – $128.2 million
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (basketball) – $111 million
- Kylian Mbappe (soccer) – $110 million
- Neymar (soccer) – $108 million
- Karim Benzema (soccer player) – $106 million
- Steph Curry (basketball) – $102 million
- Lamar Jackson (Football) – $100.5 million
See also:
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Sources:
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