Cristiano Ronaldo ranks first on Forbes' list of top-earning athletes globally.
Forbes recently unveiled their list of the highest-paid athletes, with Cristiano Ronaldo topping it for the fourth time. Ronaldo amassed a whopping $260 million in the past year - $200 million from his club deal with Al-Nassr and $60 million in off-field earnings.
The 39-year-old athlete took the lead, surpassing golfer Jon Rahm who signed a lucrative three-year contract with LIV Golf, and soccer player Lionel Messi. Rahm collected a total of $218 million - $198 million from his playing salary - while Messi's earnings clocked in at $135 million with more than half coming from off-field payments.
Ronaldo is one of four soccer players from Saudi Arabia in the top 50 highest-paid athletes. He joined Al-Nassr in January 2023 and contributed to the club's second position in the Saudi Pro League, trailing behind Al-Hilal.
This year marks the first time that the top 10 athletes have all made over $100 million, surpassing a staggering $1.38 billion in total earnings.
Other notable names in the list include NBA stars LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Steph Curry, along with soccer players Karim Benzema, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe, all representing Saudi clubs. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson rounds off the top 10, making him the highest-earning NFL player.
In a significant shift, no female athletes made it into the top 50 for the first time since 2019, with Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Li Na, and Naomi Osaka being the only ones to have done so since 2012.
To compile their list, Forbes spoke to industry insiders, scoured news reports, and referenced salary databases like Spotrac, and converted all figures to US dollars based on the current exchange rate.
Forbes' Top 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
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Cristiano Ronaldo's success in football extends beyond the field, as he also earns significant sums from off-field endorsements. In a thrilling football match, Ronaldo showed his skills by scoring a goal with a powerful free-kick.
Source: edition.cnn.com
