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ENTERTAINMENT | May 16

Once Again, Cristiano Ronaldo Tops Forbes’ Highest-Paid Athletes of the Year

CR7 and Four Other Soccer Players Top Forbes’ List of Highest-Paid Athletes of the Year

Once Again, Cristiano Ronaldo Tops Forbes’ Highest-Paid Athletes of the Year
Nassr's Portuguese forward #07 Cristiano Ronaldo - Mohammed ALSHEHRI / AFP

It’s All About the Money 💸

Cristiano Ronaldo’s net worth in 2024 is $600 million…

To the surprise of no one, according to Forbes, five of the 10 highest-paid athletes in the world in 2024 are soccer players! Jon Rahm and LeBron James ranked as the top earners among non-soccer stars.

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Soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid athlete of the year with earnings of $260 million. The insane amount is a result of combining his salary with Al-Nassr and sponsorship deals. Cristiano Ronaldo’s net worth in 2024 is $600 million! Not bad for someone who many thought was washed after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar!

Cristiano Ronaldo’s career stats are unreal! As of May 16, he’s scored 545 with 150 assists in 695 games over 22 seasons with Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al-Nassr.

For the first time in history, the 10 athletes who made this annual ranking from Forbes earned more than $100 million each (for a record-breaking $1.38 billion combined). No MMA fighter or boxer made the list!

World’s Highest-Paid Athletes in 2024

  1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Soccer): $260 million
  2. Jon Rahm (Golf): $218 million
  3. Lionel Messi (Soccer): $135 million
  4. LeBron James (NBA): $128.2 million
  5. Giannis Antetokounmpo (NBA): $111 million
  6. Kylian Mbappé (Soccer): $110 million
  7. Neymar (Soccer): $108 million
  8. Karim Benzema (Soccer): $106 million
  9. Stephen Curry (NBA): $102 million
  10. Lamar Jackson (NFL): $100.5 million

 

Saudis Impact

The list reflects the impact of Saudi Arabia’s financial investment in sports. Just look at the top two, Ronaldo and Jon Rahm!

Ronaldo signed with Al-Nassr of the Saudi Pro League in 2022. His deal with them was originally reported to be worth $207 million per season! Over time it was revealed that CR7 was guaranteed $75 million per year, with various incentives that could push the total up to $200 million. And he also has bragging rights over Inter Miami star Lionel Messi!

Rahm shocked the PGA Tour and the entire sports world by signing a deal worth over $300 million with LIV Golf in December. Per Forbes, Rahm’s on-field earnings this year reached $198 million. And on top of that, Jon Rahm’s wife, Kelley Cahill is stunning! Rahm is winning at life!

 

Branding

Messi, LeBron, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only athletes on the list with off-field and off-court earnings that exceed what they make on the field and court.

James makes more money off the court or field than anyone from this list. The Lakers star has off-court annual earnings of $80 million! He’s also part of Fenway Sports Group, and Strategic Sports Group, which made a $3 billion investment in the PGA Tour earlier this year.

Messi’s joining the MLS last year significantly increased the profile of the league and his team. Forbes revealed that Inter Miami CF is now the second-most valuable team in MLS with a $1.03 billion evaluation.

After announcing that he will leave Paris Saint-Germain after this season, renowned soccer journalist Guillem Balague revealed that Kylian Mbappé is expected to receive $162 million for signing with Real Madrid.

The deal is not official yet, but LaLiga president Javier Tebas said earlier this week that Mbappé will join Real Madrid in the summer.

Neymar, Mbappé and Messi’s former teammate at Paris Saint-Germain is one of three soccer players signed to a Saudi Pro League team on the list. He joined Al-Hilal on a two-year deal in August 2023. The contract pays Neymar $175 million.

Lamar Jackson is the only NFL player on the list. The reigning NFL MVP will make $98.5 million of his $100.5 million on the field. A large portion of that sum comes from his $72.5 million signing bonus with the Ravens.

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