 "Women and Indians missing as Ronaldo once again tops list of 100 highest-paid athletes")
The list of the world’s top 100 highest-paid athletes in 2024 does not include a woman as Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones beat US Open tennis champion Coco Gauff by a few million to be ranked 100th. The list, which was made by Sportico, is once again led by Cristiano Ronaldo who registered a total income of $260 million.
The top 100 also doesn’t include a single sportsperson from India.
Football, NBA, NFL, golf and boxing athletes dominate list
The leading 100, dominated by players from football, the NBA, NFL, golf and boxing, earned an estimated $6.2 billion in total income last year. The figure includes $4.8 billion in salary and prize money, plus $1.4 billion in endorsements.
Ronaldo’s lucrative contract with Saudi Arabian football team Al-Nassr ensured he retained top spot for a second straight year after he moved to the Saudi Pro League in December 2022.
Sportico said the Portugal forward, who celebrated his 40th birthday last week, earned a hefty $215 million in wages while he also made $45 million in endorsements.
Ronaldo is so far ahead of the other athletes in the world that Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who is second on the list, earned $153.8 million in comparison – more than $100 million short of the five-times Ballon d’Or winner.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsBritish boxer Tyson Fury, who lost to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in a heavyweight clash in December, is third on the list at $147 million.
The top five are rounded out by Inter Miami’s Argentina captain Lionel Messi ($135 million) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James ($133.2 million) – the only 40-year-old currently playing in the NBA.
The top 100 is made up of athletes from eight sports and hailing from 27 countries.
No woman athlete in top 100
Jones came in at 100 with a total income of $37.5 million while Gauff, the top-earning female athlete, earned $30.4 million.
While American Gauff, who is only 20, could climb up the list in the years to come, there have been other women athletes who would have cracked the list in the past.
Business magazine Forbes said Japan’s four-times Grand Slam tennis champion Naomi Osaka was the world’s highest-paid female athlete in 2022 after she pulled in $57.3 million in prize money and endorsements.
Retired tennis great Serena Williams, who won 23 singles majors, earned $41.8 million in 2021 according to Forbes. The American retired from the sport in 2022 at the US Open.
| Rank | Name | Sport | Country | Salary/Winnings | Endorsements | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Football | Portugal | $215M | $45M | $260M |
| 2 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | USA | $53.8M | $100M | $153.8M |
| 3 | Tyson Fury | Boxing | Britain | $140M | $7M | $147M |
| 4 | Lionel Messi | Football | Argentina | $60M | $75M | $135M |
| 5 | LeBron James | Basketball | USA | $48.2M | $85M | $133.2M |
| 6 | Neymar | Football | Brazil | $108M | $25M | $133M |
| 7 | Oleksandr Usyk | Boxing | Ukraine | $120M | $2M | $122M |
| 8 | Karim Benzema | Football | France | $108M | $8M | $116M |
| 9 | Kylian Mbappé | Football | France | $85M | $25M | $110M |
| 10 | Jon Rahm | Golf | Spain | $85.8M | $20M | $105.8M |
With agency inputs
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