Cristiano Ronaldo Ahead of Lionel Messi As Forbes Releases List of Highest Paid Athletes 2024

• Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid player of 2024, raking in $260million
• Argentine legend Lionel Messi is third with an annual earning of $135million
• NBA superstar LeBron James is also on the list with earnings of $128.2 million

Forbes has unveiled its annual list of the world's top 10 highest-paid athletes, marking a historic milestone.

Each athlete on this year's list earned over $100 million, collectively amassing a record-breaking $1.38 billion.

Ronaldo tops Forbes' rich list

Cristiano Ronaldo leads the list for the fourth time with $260 million, the highest ever for a footballer, as per Forbes.

The 39-year-old forward reportedly earns $200 million annually from Al Nassr and $60 million from off-field activities.

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His partnerships include Binance, Erakulis, Nike, Herbalife, and Clear Haircare, promoted to his 629 million Instagram followers.

Close behind is golfer Jon Rahm, with $218 million. The 29-year-old signed a $350 million contract with LIV Golf and earned $6.6 million from seven tournaments in 2024.

Lionel Messi ranks third

Lionel Messi rounds out the top three with $135 million, comprising $65 million from on-field earnings and $70 million from off-field activities.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, with a base salary of $12 million at Inter Miami and an additional $8.4 million in signing-on fees and bonuses, has recently added Lowe’s to his sponsors, which include Adidas, Apple, and Konami.

In the rest of the rankings, LeBron James is fourth with $128.2 million.

He is followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo ($111 million), Kylian Mbappe ($110 million), Neymar ($108 million), Karim Benzema ($106 million), Stephen Curry ($102 million), and Lamar Jackson ($100.5 million).

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Beyond the top 10, the only boxers featured in Forbes' top 50 highest-paid athletes list for 2024 are Canelo Alvarez ($85 million), Anthony Joshua ($83 million), and Tyson Fury ($50 million). Canelo is ranked 14th, while Joshua and Fury are 16th and 42nd, respectively.

Mbappe leads Europe’s highest-paid players

Sports Brief earlier reported that major European Leagues and Saudi Pro League transfer windows have closed, bringing an end to a crazy summer that saw a mass exodus of stars into the Middle Eastern country.

Kylian Mbappe remains top of the European wages list with a weekly salary of £1.18m per week.

The Frenchman turned down a world-record salary of €700m from Al-Hilal after Paris Saint-Germain made it clear he would be sold if he didn't renew his contract. Real Madrid were also in the picture, waiting to pounce.