Every year, sports earn outrageous sums of money, and 2024 was no exception, as Sportico has announced the highest-paid sportsmen in the globe.
It should come as no surprise that players from American football, basketball, boxing, golf, and football lead the list, with sponsorships, wages, and prize money totaling over $100 million. Football, on the other hand, dominated the top 10, with five of its players earning the highest salaries overall.
Even though Sportico published the top 100, we will mostly be concentrating on the top 10. However, you can see the athletes that just missed the top 10 below, placing in 20th to 11th place.
The world’s top 20 highest-paid athletes (20–11)
Rank
An athlete
Athletics
Pay and Winnings
Endorsements
The sum
20.
‘Canelo’ Saul Alvarez
Boxing
$65 million
$8 million
$73 million
19.
Mahomes, Patrick
NFL
$46.1 million
$27 million
$73.1 million
18.
Verstappen, Max
Formula 1
$70 million
$6 million
$76 million
17.
McIlroy, Rory
Playing golf
$34.8 million
$45 million
$79.8 million
16.
Jordan Love
NFL
$79.1m
$2.5 million
$81.6 million
15.
Goff, Jared
NFL
$80.8 million
$5 million
$85.8 million
14.
Durant, Kevin
The NBA
$48.1 million
$45 million
$93.1 million
13.
Antetokounmpo Giannis
The NBA
$47.8 million
$50 million
$97.8 million
12.
Prescott, Dak
NFL
$86.4 million
$14 million
$100.4 million
11.
Scheffler, Scottie
Playing golf
$76.3 million
$28 million
$104.3 million
10Jon Rahm
Golf – $105.8m
Spanish professional golfer Jon Rahm hails from the Basque Country. His victories in 2021 and 2023, when he became the first Spaniard to win the US Open and The Masters, respectively, are among his greatest accomplishments to date. Rahm’s 2024 total of $105.8—of which $85.8 million comes from earnings and salary—means that he and his finances are doing well. The remaining $20 million came from endorsements.
9Kylian Mbappe
Football – $110m
Mbappe, a French forward, comes in ninth place with $110 million in revenue this year. The French captain has scored 16 goals in 21 games this season while playing for Real Madrid in La Liga. With $20 million in sponsorships for the year, the Madrid striker’s popularity is evident. He has previously been ranked as one of the greatest players of a generation. In addition, he receives a cool $85 million in salary.
8Karim Benzema
Football – $116m
Karim Benzema, who is ranked eighth, is another Frenchman who has joined the conversation. He currently wears the captain’s armband and plays forward for AI-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League. He has played 16 games this season and scored 14 goals. Benzema continued to show off the Saudi League’s goldmine, earning $116 million last year. His pay alone accounted for an astounding $108 million of his entire income.
7Oleksandr Usyk
Boxing – $122m
As a boxing legend, Usyk solidified his status as a sport icon in 2024. According to the judges’ scorecards, the 38-year-old defeated Tyson Fury in both bouts, becoming the first person since Lennox Lewis to be proclaimed the world’s undisputed heavyweight champion. He then supported that by defeating the Brit in the rematch, effectively terminating the Gypsy King’s career. Remarkably, endorsements only accounted for $2 million of the Ukrainian’s income.
6Neymar
Football – $133m
Even though Neymar missed the majority of the 2023 season due to an ACL injury sustained while playing for the Saudi team Al-Hilal, it is not surprising that he is on this list given his long history of earning top dollar. The Brazilian’s recent return to Santos, his boyhood club, after an almost 12-year absence suggests that his career may be coming to an end. He earned a staggering $133 million in 2024, of which $108 million came from his salary.
5LeBron James
Basketball – $133.2m
You’ve probably heard of LeBron James even if you’re not a basketball fan. He has a presence both on and off the court and is among the most talked-about athletes of his time. Known as “King James,” he is currently a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and is frequently considered one of the best basketball players of all time. In 2024, the three-time Olympic gold medallist and member of the US national team earned $133.2 million, which is a respectable salary for making a basket. Interestingly, though, LeBron earned more money from endorsements ($85 million) than from his contract ($48.2 million).
4Lionel Messi
Football – $135m
Fourth place is now occupied by the greatest of all time. Last year, the man who is well-known to football fans worldwide earned $135 million. Here are a few noteworthy career accomplishments for Messi in case you haven’t heard of him recently. He’s won 45 team trophies, including winning the World Cup in 2022 with Argentina. He also holds the record for the most goals scored for a single club (Barcelona), netting 672 for the club, earning his GOAT status. Now plying his trade in the States with Inter Miami, the Argentinian took home a rather cool $135m, with $60m of that being his salary, and the remaining $75m coming through endorsements.
3Tyson Fury
Boxing – $147m
Even though he suffered a few significant setbacks in 2024, Tyson Fury’s earnings were unaffected; last year, the Gypsy King received an astounding $147 million. Although he lost both of his fights to fellow top-10 earner Usyk according to the judges’ scorecards, his earning potential remained unaffected. Fury will have more time to spend his riches because he has since declared his retirement from the sport. The Brit only earned $7 million in endorsements last year, which is only more than Usyk in the top 10, despite earning a sizable salary.
2Stephen Curry
Basketball – $153.8m
Stephen Curry, the point guard for the Golden State Warriors, is ranked second with a whopping $153.8 million for 2024. It’s interesting to note that £100 million of that came solely from endorsements, demonstrating how lucrative basketball is both domestically and internationally. Curry is a four-time NBA champion and two-time NBA MVP. Despite being second in this list for highest-paid athletes in the world right now, he’s still a long, long, long way behind the athlete in top spot…
1Cristiano Ronaldo
Football – $260m
Cristiano Ronaldo, the legendary Portuguese football player, has been ranked first for 2024, in case you weren’t already aware. He had earned $100 million for eight consecutive years before this past year, but he took home $260 million last year, with his record-breaking contract with Saudi team AI-Nassr undoubtedly contributing significantly to his even higher salary. Whatever the 40-year-old does next, it will most certainly not involve tightening purse strings because his current deal with the team is slated to end later this year.
