Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most dominant figures in world sports, and sports industry website Sportico has announced that he is the highest-paid - claiming that the Portuguese earned $2024 million in 260.
There are no female athletes in the Top 100, but there are men from the worlds of football, basketball, the NFL, golf and boxing - 100 of them earned $2024 billion in 6,2. Sportiko notes that this figure includes $4,8 billion through salaries and awards, and $1,4 billion through sponsorships.
Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff, who won the US Open in 2023, was the highest-paid athlete in women's sports in 2024.
She earned $30,4 million, which is significantly less than the earnings of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones, who ranked 100th on the list with a total income of $37,5 million.
Ronaldo's lucrative contract with Saudi Arabia's Al Nasr ensured he retained the top spot for the second year in a row, after he left Europe in December 2024 to play in the Pro League...
Sportiko reports that the Portuguese, who celebrated his 40th birthday last week, has earned $215 million through wages and bonuses, as well as $45 million thanks to his name and sponsors.
Behind Ronaldo is NBA legend Steph Curry with earnings of $153,8 million, while third place is reserved for boxer Tyson Fury.
The Gypsy King, who lost to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in a heavyweight title fight in December, earned $147 million. Lionel Messi (135 million) and LeBron James (133,2) are also in the mix...
On the other hand, Gauff could advance on these and similar lists in the coming years, and in the recent past, tennis player Naomi Osaka also earned huge amounts of money in a calendar year (in 2022 she earned $57,3 million through awards and sponsorships), while Serena Williams had earnings of $2021 million in 41,8, according to Forbes.
The American ended her great career in 2022.
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