Cristiano Ronaldo has secured the top spot in CEOWORLD magazine’s list of highest-paid athletes, earning $260 million in the past 12 months. He earned $200 million from Al Nassr Football Club and $60 million from off-field ventures. Golfer Jon Rahm and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi follow closely behind. Rahm earned $218 million, $198 million of which came from playing wages, while Messi earned $135 million, $70 million of which came from off-the-field payments.
The top 10 highest-earning athletes include NBA players LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Stephen Curry, as well as soccer stars Kylian Mbappé, Neymar, and Karim Benzema. Additionally, Lamar Jackson, the quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, is the highest-earning NFL player, ranking at number 10. The 50 highest-paid athletes are primarily from the following sports: basketball (19 athletes), football (11 athletes), soccer (8 athletes), golf (5 athletes), boxing (3 athletes), auto racing (2 athletes), and baseball (2 athletes).
Highest-Paid Athletes in the World, 2024
| RANK | NAME | SPORT | ON-THE-FIELD EARNINGS | OFF-THE-FIELD EARNINGS | TOTAL EARNINGS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Soccer | $200 million | $60 million | $260 million |
| 2 | Jon Rahm | Golf | $198 million | $20 million | $218 million |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Soccer | $65 million | $70 million | $135 million |
| 4 | LeBron James | Basketball | $48.2 million | $80 million | $128.2 million |
| 5 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Basketball | $46 million | $65 million | $111 million |
| 6 | Kylian Mbappé | Soccer | $90 million | $20 million | $110 million |
| 7 | Neymar | Soccer | $80 million | $28 million | $108 million |
| 8 | Karim Benzema | Soccer | $100 million | $6 million | $106 million |
| 9 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | $52 million | $50 million | $102 million |
| 10 | Lamar Jackson | Football | $98.5 million | $2 million | $100.5 million |
| 11 | Joe Burrow | Football | $96 million | $4 million | $100 million |
| 12 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | $47.8 million | $45.5 million | $93.3 million |
| 13 | Shohei Ohtani | Baseball | $25.3 million | $60 million | $85.3 million |
| 14 | Canelo Alvarez | Boxing | $75 million | $10 million | $85 million |
| 15 | Patrick Mahomes | Football | $59.4 million | $25 million | $84.4 million |
| 16 | Anthony Joshua | Boxing | $75 million | $8 million | $83 million |
| 17 | Max Verstappen | Auto Racing | $76 million | $5 million | $81 million |
| 18 | Aaron Rodgers | Football | $71.8 million | $9 million | $80.8 million |
| 19 | Rory McIlroy | Golf | $35.1 million | $45 million | $80.1 million |
| 20 | Justin Herbert | Football | $67.7 million | $11 million | $78.7 million |
| 21 | Lewis Hamilton | Auto Racing | $57 million | $12 million | $69 million |
| 22 | Nick Bosa | Football | $66.5 million | $1.5 million | $68 million |
| 23 | Tiger Woods | Golf | $12.2 million | $55 million | $67.2 million |
| 24 | Kirk Cousins | Football | $60 million | $2.5 million | $62.5 million |
| 25 | Klay Thompson | Basketball | $43.3 million | $19 million | $62.3 million |
| 26 | Damian Lillard | Basketball | $45.9 million | $16 million | $61.9 million |
| 27 | Erling Haaland | Soccer | $46 million | $15 million | $61 million |
| 28 | Max Scherzer | Baseball | $58.9 million | $1 million | $59.9 million |
| 29 | Scottie Scheffler | Golf | $39.2 million | $20 million | $59.2 million |
| 30 | Joel Embiid | Basketball | $47.7 million | $10 million | $57.7 million |
| 31 | Jimmy Butler | Basketball | $45.5 million | $12 million | $57.5 million |
| 32 | Nikola Jokic | Basketball | $48.1 million | $8 million | $56.1 million |
| 33 | James Harden | Basketball | $35.8 million | $20 million | $55.8 million |
| 34 | Luka Doncic | Basketball | $40.1 million | $15 million | $55.1 million |
| 35 | Bradley Beal | Basketball | $46.8 million | $7.5 million | $54.3 million |
| 36 | Chris Jones | Football | $53.1 million | $1 million | $54.1 million |
| 37 | Kawhi Leonard | Basketball | $45.7 million | $8 million | $53.7 million |
| 38 | Mohamed Salah | Soccer | $35 million | $18 million | $53 million |
| 39 | Paul George | Basketball | $45.7 million | $7 million | $52.7 million |
| 40 | Sadio Mané | Soccer | $48 million | $4 million | $52 million |
| 41 | Brian Burns | Football | $51.5 million | $0.2 million | $51.7 million |
| 42 | Tyson Fury | Boxing | $42 million | $8 million | $50 million |
| 43 | Cameron Smith | Golf | $44 million | $4 million | $48 million |
| 44 | Trae Young | Basketball | $40.3 million | $7 million | $47.3 million |
| 45 | Deshaun Watson | Football | $46 million | $1 million | $47 million |
| 46 | Rashan Gary | Football | $46.5 million | $0.3 million | $46.8 million |
| 47 | Anthony Davis | Basketball | $41.2 million | $5 million | $46.2 million |
| 48 | Zion Williamson | Basketball | $34.1 million | $12 million | $46.1 million |
| 49 | Jayson Tatum | Basketball | $32.9 million | $13 million | $45.9 million |
| 50 | Devin Booker | Basketball | $36.2 million | $9 million | $45.2 million |
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