May 2024 News: Forbes released the 2024 Global Athlete Income List. Over the past 12 months, the 10 highest-paid athletes have earned a combined $1,276.7 million before taxes and brokerage fees, up 15% year-over-year and reaching another all-time high.
Five of the top 10 are from football, three from basketball, one from golf and one from rugby. In 6-10 place are Kylian Mbappe (football, $110 million), Neymar (football, $108 million), Karim Benzema (football, $106 million), Stephen Curry (NBA, $102 million), Lamar Jackson (NFL, $100.5 million).
On May 11, Mbappe released a video announcing that he would not renew his contract with Paris Saint-Germain and would leave the team this summer. During his seven years with the club, he helped "Grand Paris" win six league titles, three French cups, and scored 255 goals in 306 appearances, making him the team's all-time leading goalscorer. Although the French star did not reveal where his next stop will be, there is widespread speculation that he will join La Liga giants Real Madrid at the end of the season, and his 180 million euros is also the highest ever price for a free agent transfer.
Two NBA stars, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, ranked fourth and fifth, with revenues of $128.2 million and $111 million, respectively, with the former playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, who were eliminated 4-1 by defending champions Denver Nuggets in the first round of this year's playoffs. The latter played for the Milwaukee Bucks, who lost to the Indiana Pacers 2-4 and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second year in a row.
According to multiple sources, James will complete a contract extension with the Lakers this summer, as for whether to complete a three-year $164 million contract extension after jumping out of the contract, or execute a one-year contract worth $51.4 million next season and extend the contract for two years and $112.9 million, it depends on how the "old man" chooses.
"Antetokounmpo" signed a contract extension last summer and will play for the Bucks until the end of the 2027-28 season. Commenting on the future of the team, he said: "We will continue to work hard to explore and discover the quality and potential that we have. ”
Lionel Messi is in third place with $135 million in revenue. So far this season, he has made 12 appearances for Inter Miami in the MLS, scoring 11 goals and providing 12 assists. The performance on the pitch is still bright, but the "debut door" storm has not dissipated to this day. The Argentine star did not appear in Inter Miami and Hong Kong Stars on Feb. 4 this year, and was the only one of the six exhibition games he missed. Many fans were extremely dissatisfied with the aftermath of the relevant parties, causing an uproar.
Jon Rahm came in second with $218 million in revenue. The Spanish golfer opted to join LIV Golf in January after the Saudi-backed series league signed him a deal worth up to £450 million. Off the pitch, the 29-year-old has endorsed brands such as Rolex, Vista Jets, Silver Leaf Club, and Lanyande.
Cristiano Ronaldo reached the top again, with revenue of 260 million US dollars (about 1.88 billion yuan). The Portuguese star currently plays for Riyadh Victory in Saudi Arabia and has signed a two-and-a-half-season contract with a total value of nearly €200 million per season. In addition, Ronaldo has also made remarkable achievements in commercial endorsements, establishing close cooperation with brands such as Nike, Herbalife, Armani, Tiger Yahao, DAZN, and his own brand CR7 has also been involved in many fields.
There are media reports that Cristiano Ronaldo has urged Riyadh Victory FC to bring in Bruno Fernandes from Manchester United this summer. After two years without a title, he is eager to welcome strong teammates next season to help him compete for the title, and his national team team-mate B Fei is clearly a good candidate.