Stars from soccer, basketball, and football – three of the most popular sporting events in the world – dominate the ranking of the highest-paid athletes of 2024. And while Rahm may have initially claimed to prioritize the PGA Tour over the money-dripping Saudi-backed LIV Golf, saying, “There has been a lot of talk and speculation about the Saudi league. It’s just not something I believe is the best for me and my future in golf, and I think the best legacy I can accomplish will be with the PGA Tour,” it only took two years before Rahm would don a LIV-branded letterman jacket on Fox News to become the latest star golfer to exit the US PGA Tour.
Even more, with that move came astronomical earnings that qualify for the largest in LIV’s brief history, catapulting Rahm 26 positions in Forbes’ highest-paid athletes to the No. 2 position. Rahm is only superseded by Cristiano Ronaldo, who’s also part of a Saudi-backed soccer project with Al Nassr. Like LIV Golf, Al Nassr, and several other sporting outfits in the oil-rich nation enjoys backing from a $925 billion (assets) Public Investment Fund (PIF) in Saudi Arabia.
Neymar and Benzema, other members of the elite top 10 highest-paid athletes of 2024, also ply their craft for PIF-owned Saudi Pro League teams. Lionel Messi, who plays with America’s Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, has endorsed Saudi Arabia as a tourism ambassador.
The World’s 10 Highest Paid Athletes 2024 – Forbes List
Considering the fortunes that athletes have eked out of Saudi Arabia’s PIF, it’s unsurprising that NBA stars Lebron James and Giannis Antekokunmpo (other members of Forbes’s top 10 earning athletes) have joked online about securing some contract with the Saudis. Other names on the list include Kylian Mbappe, Stephen Curry, and Lamar Jackson.
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Now to the list!
Cristiano Ronaldo
With a total estimated earnings of $260 million (On-field earnings worth $200 million, with the rest going to off-field receipts), Ronaldo maintains an all-time high spot as the highest-paid athlete for the fourth time in his career. Much of his financial exploits have direct links to the massive $200 million annual salary Al Nassr pays him, which has proven a worthy investment for the Saudi Pro League side.
Despite being 39 years old, Ronaldo led the league with 68 goals in 74 matches and multiple Player of the Month awards since joining Al Nassr. That aside, Ronaldo has also proven enormously providential to sponsors, frequently linking partners – like fitness app Erakulis and crypto exchange Binance – to his 639 million Instagram followers. Ronaldo has also struck deals with Nike, Clear Haircare, and Herbalife, to mention a handful.
Jon Rahm
Rahm holds $218 million in estimated earnings ($198 million on-field earnings and $20 million off-field earnings), thanks to joining LIV in December 2023.
Rahm won his first LIV title in late July since joining LIV and has already earned lucratively from multiple tournaments in 2024. Meanwhile, Rahm was tapped to captain LIV’s 13th team, Legion XIII, a title that traditionally comes alongside a 25% equity stake in the league’s franchise.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi’s joining MLS side Inter Miami has been a remarkable revelation for the US team – juicing out skyrocketing ticket sales, shirt sales, and a groundbreaking global preseason tour with a touch of lucrative sponsorships headlined by the club’s partnership with Royal Caribbean in a jersey deal (the most lucrative in MLS history).
Messi also has performed as expected, scoring 10 goals in his first nine matches of last season, and becoming the first MLS player to record five assists in a single game. Interestingly, unlike Cristiano Ronaldo or Jon Rahm, Messi earns more from his off-field activities ($70 million) than his on-field runs ($65 million) annually, thanks to multiple sponsorship deals from Adidas, Apple, and Konami.
Lebron James
James has total earnings of $128.2 million ($48.2 million on-field earnings and $80 million off-field earnings) while playing for NBA side Los Angeles Lakers. Lebron recently won Olympic Gold with Team USA during the most recent Paris Olympics – what could be his likely final Olympic appearance.
While James’ future with the Los Angeles Lakers hangs in the balance as retirement beckons for the 39-year-old, James recently added a new partnership with DraftKings in January and remains the highest-earning basketball player.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Another NBA star Giannis Antekokounmpo makes the list of top 10 highest-paid athletes in the world. The Milwaukee Bucks star ended his last season abruptly due to a calf injury and had to helplessly watch his team suffer a first-round playoff exit.
However, Antetokoumpo’s on-field earnings of $46 million are no match for his off-field earnings of $65 million, thanks to partnerships with big brands like Nike, Pepsi, and of course, earnings from his production company.
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe has fulfilled his childhood dream of joining Spanish giants Real Madrid during the summer transfer window, after collecting six of a possible seven Ligue 1 titles during his outing at the club.
While Paris Saint Germain failed to win a Champions League trophy with Mbappe on board, the Frenchman has been highly instrumental in helping them secure their trophies over the years, deserving his $90 million on-field earnings. Off the field, Mbappe earns an estimated $20 million to arrive at a total of $110 million estimated earnings.
Neymar
Neymar’s sojourn with Saudi Pro League Club Al Hilal may have been heavily punctuated by injuries, but his estimated on-field earnings of $80 million, plus other exotic perks like a private jet, many thanks to the PIF-backed club, proved enough to entice him to the league.
But that hasn’t stopped the Brazilian forward from signing new endorsement deals with brands like Puma and Skims.
Karim Benzema
Benzema, who lifted the 2022 Ballon d’Or left Real Madrid as a free agent in 2024 and joined Al Ittihad, pointing at his Islamic beliefs as a leading motivation to join the club.
However, his first season with Al Ittihad has been critically punctuated by health challenges, which once saw him return to his former doctor’s supervision in Spain. Benzema receives an estimated $100 million earnings, and off-field earnings worth $6 million.
Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry’s NBA exploits have continued to the latter phases of his career, earning him a place in Team USA’s Olympic Gold-winning roster this summer.
Despite this, he has also been a remarkable force off the court, signing multi-million dollar contracts and some before-the-camera roles including co-starring in a mockumentary about his career from the Curry brand that have qualified him as one of the highest-paid athletes globally according to Forbes.
Lamar Jackson
The only NFL player on the list of Forbes’ ten highest-paid earners is Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. He has proven to be successful working with his agents as they negotiate massive on-field and off-field signings to his name.
His most recent $72.5 million signing bonus from a new Ravens’ contract marks most of his estimated annual on-field earnings of $98.5 million. Jackson also holds a series of businesses including a soul food restaurant, a production company, a clothing line, and a record label.
Conclusion
This list contains the top athletes making huge money from their sports. Many of them now play in Saudi Arabia, but who can blame them? As Nigeria soccer star, Odion Ighalo, who currently plays in Saudi Arabia too puts it, “At the end of the day, we are all playing football for money, not passion.”
Forbes’ list of ten highest-paid athletes was computed before deducting fees like taxes and agents commissions. While it’s no surprise that soccer, football, and basketball athletes make the top ten list, it’s remarkable that Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes in 2024 has all athletes earning up to $100 million, marking a milestone year for sports stars globally.