The Forbes rich list reveals the 10 highest-paid athletes in 2024, with Cristiano Ronaldo almost twice as much as rival Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo, the striker tops the Forbes 2024 rich list. Although he no longer plays at the highest level, he still earns a good income. Revenue was £158 million and off-market endorsements were £47 million. His endorsed brands include Nike, Armani, TAG Heuer and PokerStars, among others.
In second place is Jon Rahm , the golfer who has become the latest golfer to be in the spotlight since last December. Rahm received £156 million in revenue, in addition to £16 million in endorsements – including collaborations with brands such as Mercedes and Rolex.
In third place is Lionel Messi, who moved to Inter Miami from Paris Saint-Germain a year ago. He made a total of £107 million: £52 million in wages and £55 million in endorsements. While Messi earns a lot of money, he earns only half as much as rival Cristiano Ronaldo – a staggering £106 million difference in salaries between the two.
In fourth place is LeBron James, who earned £38 million in wages from the Los Angeles Lakers. Add to that numerous endorsement contracts and his own commercial profits, and his off-market earnings total £63 million.
In fifth place is Giannis Antetokounmpo, the "Greek freak" who received a £36 million salary with the Bucks, in addition to receiving endorsements from companies such as Tissot and Gaming, with a total of £51 million in off-court earnings.
In sixth place is Kylian Mbappe, who has just signed the final year of his £71 million contract with Paris Saint-Germain. He also earned £16 million from endorsements – partner brands including Nike, Louis Vuitton and Hublot.
In seventh place is Neymar, who has missed most of the year due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Neymar's annual salary in Saudi Arabia is £63 million. He also owns a range of partner brands, including Puma, the National Bank of Qatar and Honda, and his endorsements are worth £22 million.
In eighth place is Karim Benzema. Despite desperately wanting to leave the Etihad team in January, Benzema earned £79 million from the Saudi Pro League club. There are also £5 million worth of endorsements, including collaborations with Adidas and Hyundai.
Stephen Curry, who is ranked ninth, has a salary of £41 million with the Warriors and also receives an endorsement of £40 million. Among the brands he endorses are: brand ambassadors for companies such as Rakuten, Under Armour, and crypto platform FTX.
Rounding out the top 10 is NFL star Lamar Jackson. The quarterback earns a whopping £78 million a year from the Baltimore Ravens, and he lags behind the rest of the list in terms of endorsements, earning £1 million.