Cristiano Ronaldo Tops Forbes’ Highest-Paid Athletes List for 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to dominate the financial playing field, securing the top spot on Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes for 2024, thanks to his lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia.

Released on Thursday, Forbes reported that Ronaldo earned a staggering $260 million over the past year. This total includes $200 million from his club contract with Al-Nassr and $60 million from endorsements and other off-field earnings.

At 39, Ronaldo leads the rankings for the fourth time in his career, surpassing golfer Jon Rahm and Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi. Rahm, who joined the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Tour in December, raked in $218 million, with $198 million coming from playing wages alone. Meanwhile, Messi earned $135 million, with $70 million from off-field activities.

Ronaldo is one of four Saudi-based footballers to make the top 50 list. He joined Al-Nassr in January 2023, and his team is poised to finish second in the Saudi Pro League behind Al-Hilal this season.

For the first time, all top-10 athletes on Forbes’ list have earned over $100 million each, combining for a record total of $1.38 billion. Other top earners include NBA stars LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Steph Curry, as well as footballers Neymar, Karim Benzema (also representing Saudi clubs), and Kylian Mbappé. Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback, is the highest-earning NFL player, ranking 10th.

Notably, no women made it into the top 50 this year, marking the first time since 2019. Since 2012, only Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Li Na, and Naomi Osaka have featured on the list.

Forbes’ rankings are compiled through interviews with industry insiders, news reports, and salary databases like Spotrac, with all earnings converted to US dollars at the current exchange rate.

Forbes’ 10 highest-paid athletes in 2024:

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 Mbappé (soccer) – $110 million
Neymar (soccer) – $108 million
Karim Benzema (soccer) – $106 million
Steph Curry (basketball) – $102 million
Lamar Jackson (football) – $100.5 million