Top 10 Highest Paid Athletes in the World (2024)

Athletes all over the world are constantly making a lot of fortune via their careers. They have gathered wealth through the returns from their careers, businesses, and endorsement deals, thereby enlisting them as some of the richest athletes in the world. Learning about these athletes is made easy as this article details the top 10 highest-paid athletes in the world. This list is made up of athletes from all athletic fields such as football, golfing, and basketball.

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Highest Paid Athletes in the World

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo’s estimated total earnings of $260 million, an all-time high for a soccer player, makes him the world’s highest-paid athlete. That’s largely thanks to his massive $200 million annual salary with Al Nassr, which has seemingly been a worthy investment for the Saudi Pro League club. The 39-year-old forward leads the league with 33 goals scored and earned Player of the Month honors in August, September, December and March.

He’s also still enormously valuable to sponsors as well, frequently plugging his partners—including crypto exchange Binance and fitness app Erakulis—to his 629 million Instagram followers, in addition to other deals with Nike, Herbalife, Clear Haircare, and Whoop.

2. Jon Rahm

With a pay check of $218 million, Jon Rahm is the second highest paid athlete in the world. Rahm’s decision to join LIV Golf last December has been enormously lucrative, even outside the reported $350 million guarantee he received to join the Saudi-backed tour. While the Spaniard has yet to win a LIV event, he’s already earned $6.6 million from seven tournaments in 2024.

READ: Forbes Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes In The World 2022

3. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional Football player. Alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, he is regarded as one of the best players in the history of Football. In the history of his career as a footballer, he has won several awards and honours. He is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.

Messi’s arrival in Miami has been nothing short of a revelation for his new club—Inter Miami has juiced ticket sales, staged a groundbreaking global preseason tour and added a slew of lucrative sponsorships, including a partnership with Royal Caribbean, the most valuable jersey deal in MLS history.

Off the field, Messi added Lowe’s to a group of sponsors that includes Adidas, Apple and Konami. He’s also reportedly partnering with the maker of White Claw Hard Seltzer to launch his own sports drink.

4. LeBron James

LeBron James is an American basketballer and one of the highest paid athletes in the world. James’ future with the Los Angeles Lakers is the subject of great speculation after another disappointing playoff exit. The four-time MVP has a $218.2 million pay check which comes from endorsement deals and his sports career.

James added a partnership with DraftKings in January and joined a slew of celebrities investing in the golf world’s new commercial venture, PGA Tour Enterprises.

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the fifth athlete on this list of the highest paid athletes in the world. Off the court, Antetokounmpo launched a production company in January and added a partnership with Pepsi’s Starry soft drink in February. He also has his sixth signature sneaker with Nike on the way later this year.

READ: Forbes Top 10 Richest Footballers of All Time 2022

6. Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe is a talented footballer and also one of the youngest athlete on this list of the highest paid athletes in the world. Currently, his paycheck is valued at $110 million. Win or lose, he remains very active outside of soccer. Mbappé formed a production company in 2022, which partnered with the NBA, and has deals with Nike, Hublot and Oakley, among others.

7. Neymar Jr.

To entice him to join Saudi Arabian soccer Al Hilal last year, Neymar reportedly received a pay package filled with perks, including access to a private jet, a fleet of luxury cars and a fully staffed mansion. But his tenure got off to an inauspicious start.

In October, while playing in a World Cup qualifying match, the Brazilian star tore his ACL, ending his club season with just five matches played between the Saudi Pro League and AFC Champions League. That hasn’t stopped Neymar from signing new endorsement deals.

Since the injury, he has added Skims to his portfolio, launched a new soccer boot with Puma and partnered with Fun Brands to develop his own line of cocktails and mocktails. With his multiple endorsement deals, Neymar still retains a position on the list of the highest paid athletes in the world.

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8. Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema is one of the best footballers in the world. With a pay check worth $106 million, he is one of the highest paid athletes in the world.

Benzema, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2022, left Real Madrid as a free agent last year and joined Saudi Pro League team Al Ittihad. His first season with Al Ittihad has been plagued by health issues, however, which is why he’s returned to Real Madrid’s clinic under the supervision of his former doctor in Spain, according to ESPN.

9. Stephen Curry

Asides from being one of the world’s best basketballers, American player, Stephen Curry, is one of the world highest paid athletes. Curry’s sharpshooting has continued into the later phases of his career, leading the NBA with 357 three-pointers this season and earning a place on Team USA’s Olympic roster this summer.

He has also been a force off the court, signing a new deal with Under Armour last year that will run well into retirement with $75 million in stock vesting in equal installments between 2029 and 2034. Curry is also branching out in front of the camera, co-starring in an upcoming.

10. Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson arrives in the top ten thanks to the $72.5 million signing bonus he received with his new Baltimore Ravens contract last year, which he negotiated as his own agent.

Off the field, Jackson works with Oakley and StatusPro, makers of the NFL Pro Era virtual reality video game. He also owns a series of businesses including a soul food restaurant, a production company, a record label and a clothing line called Era 8.

READ: The Top 10 Richest NBA Players In The World (2022)

Highest Paid Athletes in the World

Here is a summary of the list of the top 10 highest paid athletes in the world in 2024:

• Christiano Ronaldo
• Jon Rahm
• Lionel Messi
• LeBron James
• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Kylian Mbappe
• Neymar Jr.
• Karim Benzema
• Stephen Curry
• Lamar Jackson

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