Not a single female athlete features in the top 100 spots in a newly published list of sport’s highest earners in 2024, with male footballer Cristiano Ronaldo on top of the pile.
The list does, however, demonstrate the spending power of the Saudi Pro League. Ronaldo heads the list thanks in no small part to the mega-money deal he signed with Al-Nassr during the 2022-2023 season, while fellow Saudi-based star Karim Benzema is also in the top 10.
Players’ salaries and winnings are combined with off-field earnings, with footballers making up half of the top 10. Former Paris Saint-Germain team-mates Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are the other three, though none of the trio still play their club football in France.
Boxers, basketball and baseball players and American football stars all feature prominently, while there are also three golfers in the top 10. One thing the list doesn’t have is women, though, with tennis star Coco Gauff – the closest woman to the list – still $7.1million (£5.7m) away from getting there.
Published by Sportico, the new list puts Ronaldo more than $100m clear of the next-highest earner. Some $215m of his $260m earnings are attributed to his salary, while he has a number of endorsement deals off the pitch.
Second is basketball star Steph Curry, one of two men from his sport in the top five along with LeBron James. Curry, 36, is listed as having $100m in endorsements to go along with his $53.8m salary.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are boxing’s representatives in the top 10, each taking home nine figures from their sport but substantially less away from the ring. John Rahm narrowly pips Scottie Scheffler to the honour of top-earning golfer, with Rahm high up on the LIV Golf money list.
Coco Gauff is number one when it comes to female athletes, with earnings reported at $30.4m. That isn’t enough to match the lowest earners in the top 100, though, with NFL stars Baker Mayfield and Daniel Jones rounding off the list on $37.6m and $37.5m respectively.
There are only three Premier League footballers among the group, with Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah both in the top 40 while Kevin De Bruyne ranks 89th. The numbers were calculated before Haaland signed his new Manchester City contract, which is due to keep him at the club until 2034.
When it comes to the nationality breakdown, Americans account for more than half of the total list. However, there are just two athletes from the United States in the top 10 – both basketball players – and just eight across the top 20.
TOP EARNING ATHLETES IN 2024
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – $260m (£207.6m)
2. Steph Curry – $153.8m (£122.8m)
3. Tyson Fury – $147m (£117.3m)
4. Lionel Messi – $135m (£107.8m)
5. LeBron James – $133.2m (£106.3m)
6. Neymar – $133m (£106.2m)
7. Oleksandr Usyk – $122m £97.4m)
8. Karim Benzema – $116m (£92.6m)
9. Kylian Mbappe – $110m (£87.8m)
10. Jon Rahm – $105.8m (£84.5m)
*numbers via Sportico
Mirror Sport
