Where do Ronaldo, Messi stand on Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes? Here’s the top-10

Cristiano Ronaldo has topped the Forbes list of highest-paid athletes for the fourth time in his career, while Spanish golfer Jon Rahm moved up to second spot following his sensational switch to Saudi-backed LIV Golf.

Ronaldo also headed the list last year following his move to Saudi Arabian football club Al Nassr. According to Forbes, he earned an estimated $260 million over the last 12 months, making him the highest-paid athlete in the world for the fourth time in his career.

Forbes estimates Ronaldo’s contract with Al Nassr earned him $200 million this season. “And as one of the sports world’s most successful pitchmen, Ronaldo earned another $60 million off the field from an endorsement portfolio that includes Nike, Binance and Herbalife, among others,” said the report.

Messi takes third spot

“LIV Golf’s presence is still felt on the list through two of the five ranking golfers, with Jon Rahm claiming the No. 2 spot after joining the upstart league in December. The Spanish golfer is one of 22 athletes under the age of 30 on the list, which could be signalling a changing of the guard,” said Forbes report. He is reported to have earned $218m (£172m).

Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has taken the third spot after making a lucrative switch to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, helping the Argentine World Cup winner earn $135 million. The 36-year-old has earned $65 million in on-field earnings but $70 million off it thanks to deals with major sponsors such as Adidas and Apple, says a Reuters report. “Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is fourth at $128.2 million and although the 39-year-old, the first NBA player to score 40,000 career points, is nearing the end of his career, the American is set to have one last crack at the Olympics,” said the report.

Fellow NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo ($111 million) of the Milwaukee Bucks rounds out the top five while France soccer captain Kylian Mbappe has dropped down to sixth ($110 million). Former PSG star Neymar, who also moved to the Saudi Pro League to join Al-Hilal, is seventh ($108 million) despite sitting out the majority of the season with a torn ACL. French striker Karim Benzema, who also moved to Saudi Arabia, is eighth ($106 million) on the list followed by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry ($102 million). Lamar Jackson is the only NFL player on the list, securing the 10th spot ($100.5 million).

Earnings up 13%

"In total, the world’s 50 highest-paid athletes hauled in an estimated $3.88 billion over the last 12 months before taxes and agents’ fees, up 13% from last year’s record mark of $3.44 billion. Roughly 76%, or $2.94 billion, came from on-field earnings (salaries, bonuses and prize money) partly because of the Middle Eastern money continuing to flow into sports. The other 24%, or $936 million, is attributable to their endorsements, appearances, licensing and memorabilia income, and other business endeavors, which is down 13% year-over-year from $1.08 billion," said Forbes report.

The cut-off for this year’s top 50, like last year, is $45.2 million, a 20% hike from the previous record in 2022. Still, 10 newcomers qualified for the ranking, while another eight returned to the list after an absence of a year or longer. The NBA has the most players on the list of any sport at 19, while the NFL has 11 and global soccer comes in third with eight. LIV Golf’s presence is still felt on the list through two of the five ranking golfers, with Jon Rahm claiming the No. 2 spot after joining the upstart league in December.

The top 10

According to Forbes, the world’s 10 highest-paid athletes collectively earned $1.38 bn (£1.06bn) before taxes and agents’ fees over the past 12 months, which is the highest total ever. Here’s the list of top 10 highest paid athletes in 2024:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo, football: $260m (£205m)

2. Jon Rahm, golf: $218m (£172m)

3. Lionel Messi, football: $135m (£107m)

4. LeBron James, basketball: $128.2m (£101m)

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, basketball: $111m (£88m)

6. Kylian Mbappe, football: $110m (£87m)

7. Neymar, football: $108m (£85m)

8. Karim Benzema, football: $106m (£84m)

9. Stephen Curry, basketball: $102m (£80m)

10. Lamar Jackson, American football: $100.5m (£79m)