Portuguese footballing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has emerged top of Forbes’ list of the highest-paid athletes in the world, MySportDab reports
The footballing icon earned £206.6m over the course of 2024, to finish top of the ladder of moneybags in sports.
This perhaps comes as no surprise, given the luxurious salary the Al Nassr forward enjoys at his club. The 40-year-old has reportedly been pocketing £177m a year since making the move to the Middle East of Arab. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner earns well off the pitch as well, being one of the biggest names on social media.
Golden State Warriors Star and NBA legend Stephen Curry comes in second on the rankings behind Ronaldo. The 37-year-old earned £117m in 2024, to see him finish behind the Portuguese.
Legendary boxer Tyson Fury completes the top three, with the Brit reportedly earning a sum of £109m in 2024.
A huge chunk of Fury’s income reportedly came from his bout against the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk. Despite losing the bout, the 36-year-old still pocketed a handsome fee.
Argentinian great and Cristiano Ronaldo’s career rival, Lionel Messi, finishes as the second footballer in the top five and the fifth overall on the ranking.
The Inter Miami star resisted the temptation to move to the Arab following his departure from Europe, opting to move to the United States, where he has nonetheless enjoyed mouthwatering pay. He reportedly earned £101.4m throughout 2024.
Other big names make up the top ten, including NBA stars like LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Karim Benzema of Al-Ittihad is the third footballer on the list, and eighth in the overall ranking.
Baseball players like Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani also make up the top ten, while Dak Prescott happens to be the only American footballer in the top 10.
See Full List Below:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – £206.6m ($275m)
2. Stephen Curry – £117.1m ($156m)
3. Tyson Fury – £109.5m ($146m)
4. Dak Prescott £102.8m ($137m)
5. Lionel Messi £101.3m ($135m)
6. LeBron James £100.4m ($133.8m)
7. Juan Soto £85.5m ($114m)
8. Karim Benzema £78m ($104m)
9. Shohei Ohtani £76.9m ($102.5m)
10. Kevin Durant £
76.1m ($101.4m)
