As reported by First Post sports- For the fourth time, Cristiano Ronaldo has topped Forbes’ list of athletes who earn the highest salaries. Football player Lionel Messi, a rival of Portugal’s star, is third, and Spanish golfer Jon Rahm is second. After joining Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo became the highest-paid athlete in the world. According to Forbes, the 39-year-old’s estimated total earnings were in the neighbourhood of $260 million, which is a record high for a football player.
$200 million was earned by him on the pitch, and $60 million was earned off it as a result of sponsorship agreements that let companies exploit his 629 million Instagram followers.
Twice major winner Rahm joined LIV Golf in December in a big-money move that sent shockwaves through the sport after media reports said the current world number five would be paid at least $300 million.
Apart from that guarantee, Rahm has earned $218 million and joins Ronaldo as the only two athletes to earn over $200 million.
Third on the list is record eight-times Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, who made a lucrative switch to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, helping the Argentine World Cup winner earn $135 million.
The 36-year-old has made $70 million off the pitch in addition to $65 million on it from endorsement deals with companies like Apple and Adidas.
LeBron James, the 39-year-old American who became the first NBA player to record 40,000 points in his career, is currently ranked fourth with $128.2 million. Despite his advanced age, James will make one more attempt to compete in the Olympics.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ fellow NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo ($111 million) completes the top five, with France soccer captain Kylian Mbappe ($110 million) falling to sixth place.
After spending seven years in the French capital and rising to the position of all-time leading scorer for the team, Mbappe confirmed his departure from Paris St. Germain. The 25-year-old is anticipated to sign with Real Madrid, one of the biggest teams in Spain, over the offseason.
Neymar, a former top player for PSG who also joined Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, is eighth ($108 million) after missing much of the season due to an ACL tear.
The eighth player on the list ($106 million) is French striker Karim Benzema, who also relocated to Saudi Arabia. Stephen Curry, the guard for the Golden State Warriors ($102 million), comes in second.
Lamar Jackson’s new Baltimore Ravens contract from last year included a signing bonus, which allowed him to finish as the lone NFL player in 10th place ($100.5 million).
Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes (2024)- With agency inputs
- Cristiano Ronaldo, football: $260m (£205m)
- Jon Rahm, golf: $218m (£172m)
- Lionel Messi, football: $135m (£107m)
- LeBron James, basketball: $128.2m (£101m)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, basketball: $111m (£88m)
- Kylian Mbappe, football: $110m (£87m)
- Neymar, football: $108m (£85m)
- Karim Benzema, football: $106m (£84m)
- Stephen Curry, basketball: $102m (£80m)
- Lamar Jackson, American football: $100.5m (£79m)
