Cristiano Ronaldo once again claimed the top spot on the list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, earning a total of $260 million in 2024, according to sports industry news site Sportico. However, there were no female athletes in the top 100.
The combined earnings of the top 100 athletes reached an estimated $6.2 billion in total, including $4.8 billion in salaries and prize money, plus $1.4 billion in endorsements.
Coco Gauff, the former U.S. Open champion, was the highest-earning female athlete with $30.4 million, but that figure was far behind Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones, who rounded out the top 100 with $37.5 million.
Ronaldo’s impressive earnings stem largely from his lucrative contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, which helped him maintain the top position for a second consecutive year after joining the Saudi Pro League in December 2022.
Sportico reports that the Portuguese forward, who celebrated his 40th birthday last week, earned $215 million in wages and $45 million from endorsements.
In comparison, second-place Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors earned $153.8 million, more than $100 million behind Ronaldo.
British boxer Tyson Fury, who lost a heavyweight bout to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in December, ranked third with $147 million in earnings.
The top five was completed by Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, who earned $135 million, and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James with $133.2 million. LeBron is currently the only 40-year-old actively playing in the NBA.
The top 100 list features athletes from eight different sports and 27 countries.
While 20-year-old Gauff could rise in future rankings, some female athletes who have previously cracked the list would now fall short.
Forbes reported that in 2022, Japan’s Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam tennis champion, was the highest-paid female athlete globally, earning $57.3 million from a combination of prize money and endorsements.
Retired tennis legend Serena Williams, who won 23 singles Grand Slam titles, earned $41.8 million in 2021 before retiring in 2022 after the U.S. Open.
