The 10 highest paid athletes in the world in 2024 rankings

Whether they are a football star, basketball champion or American football player, professional athletes earn millions not only through their sporting achievements. Sponsorship and advertising contracts also provide high-profile athletes with additional high-paying income. The richest of them are included in Forbes' annual ranking of the highest-paid athletes.

For the first time in history, each of the top ten athletes earned more than $100 million, according to the annual ranking issued by the famous American magazine Forbes. Here's an overview of the top earners.

The Baltimore Ravens quarterback is one of the 10 highest-paid athletes this year thanks to his $72.5 million signing bonus. He was able to secure that bonus last year with his new five-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens. In total, the contract was worth $260 million, making him the highest-paid player in the league at the time. Jackson is also collaborating with Oakley and StatusPro, which developed the virtual reality video game NFL Pro Era. He also owns several companies, such as the “Era 8” clothing line.

NBA player Stephen Curry, who has been under contract with the Golden State Warriors since the beginning of his professional career in 2009, is ranked ninth among the highest-paid athletes in 2024 this year. His performance this season was marked by 357 three-point shots. He also earned a spot on the U.S. team for the Olympics this summer. The 36-year-old signed a long-term contract with Under Armor last year. This continues until the end of his basketball career. In addition to his athletic successes, Curry is also active as a businessman. According to Forbes, his annual salary is $102 million.

The French footballer ranks eighth in the current ranking of the highest-paid athletes in the world. After winning the Ballon d'Or in 2022, Karim Benzema decided not to renew his contract and leave Real Madrid on a free transfer. He currently plays with Al-Ittihad Club in the Saudi Professional League. According to Forbes, his annual salary is $106 million.

Last year, Neymar moved to Al Hilal Saudi Football Club. However, in October, the Brazilian footballer tore his cruciate ligament during a World Cup qualifier match. Therefore, he played only five matches in the Saudi Professional League and AFC Champions League until the end of the season. Despite the injury, Neymar continued his business activity away from the football field. Among other things, he worked with the fashion company Skims, founded by Kim Kardashian. Neymar also launched a new football shoe with Puma last year.

At just 25 years old, Frenchman Kylian Mbappe is the youngest athlete in this classification. Since 2017 he has been under contract with Paris Saint-Germain. He is now moving to the Spanish club Real Madrid this year. According to Forbes, the France international earns an annual salary of $90 million on the soccer field. In addition, there is income from advertising and sponsorship transactions of approximately $20 million. These result from deals with Nike, Hublot, Oakley and others. In 2022, Mbappe also founded his own film production company.

The Greek basketball player takes fifth place in the ranking of the highest paid athletes in 2024. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been under contract with the Milwaukee Bucks in the North American Professional Basketball League (NBA) since 2013. However, his team was eliminated in the first round last season. . The 29-year-old also earns a very good income outside of the basketball court.

Forbes estimates his total income at an impressive $111 million annually. Of this amount, only $65 million comes from advertising and sponsorship revenue. In January of this year, Antetokounmpo founded his own production company. In February, it partnered with Starry Softdrink, a Pepsi product. Then he launched his sixth sneaker in collaboration with Nike.

LeBron James ranks fourth in the ranking of the highest-paid athletes of 2024. The professional basketball player is currently under contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, but his future with the Lakers is still uncertain. According to Spotrac, he will have a player option worth $51.4 million there. However, most of his overall income comes from activities outside the basketball court. Forbes estimates that James earns a salary of $80 million through advertising partnerships, sponsorships, and investments. This makes it the most successful advertising medium in the top ten. In 2015, he signed a lifetime advertising contract with sporting goods manufacturer Nike.

In 2024, Argentine professional footballer Lionel Messi, currently contracted with the American club Inter Miami, will take third place in the Forbes ranking of the highest-paid athletes. In July 2023, Messi moved from Paris Saint-Germain to the North American Professional League (MLS). Inter Miami is now ranked by Forbes as the second most expensive franchise in Major League Soccer, with an estimated value of $1.03 billion. This year, the club plans to increase its revenues to more than $200 million from $118 million in 2023.

Messi is still viewed as one of the best footballers of all time and thus attracts many advertising and collaboration partners. Through advertising deals with companies such as Pepsi, Adidas and Budweiser, he was able to generate an additional $70 million away from the football field.

Spanish golfer Jon Rahm has played on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour. Last December, Rahm moved to LIV Golf for a salary worth hundreds of millions. This decision proved to be very profitable, causing him to fall in the world rankings from 28th place in 2023 to 2nd place this year. Jon Rahm has already earned $6.6 million from seven tournaments during the 2024 season, which puts him sixth on the PGA Tour's official money list as of May 13 — although he has yet to win a LIV event. Forbes estimates the 29-year-old's annual salary at $218 million. He is expected to earn about $198 million on the golf course.

Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo is once again at the top of the ranking of highest-paid athletes in 2024. He already took first place last year. At the time, Forbes estimated his annual salary at $136 million. He is now expected to reach $260 million this year, an all-time record for a football player. According to Forbes, the 39-year-old, who plays as a striker for Al-Nasr, will receive an annual salary of $200 million during the two-and-a-half-year contract period. In comparison, Ronaldo earned around $60 million per year at his former club, Manchester United.

Many companies have asked Ronaldo as their advertising vehicle for many years. With over 630 million followers on Instagram, the footballer is one of the most popular people on Instagram. As the face of American sporting goods manufacturer Nike, and through several small advertising deals, including contracts with Herbalife, Clear Hair Care and Whoop, the Portuguese earns millions extra, according to Forbes.

Source: Forbes

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Transparency note: This article first appeared in WirtschaftsWoche in October 2020. We have updated it and are showing it again based on reader interest.