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Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes’ 2024 highest-paid athletes ranking with estimated earnings of $260 million. Jon Rahm ranked second at $218 million, followed by Lionel Messi at $135 million. These estimates cover income collected from May 1, 2023, through May 1, 2024—not the 2024 calendar year—and are not take-home pay.
Forbes’ 10 highest-paid athletes in 2024
Forbes Australia published this ranking on May 17, 2024. The table reports the athletes’ estimated total earnings and sports as presented in the article.
| Rank | Athlete | Sport | Estimated earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Soccer | $260 million |
| 2 | Jon Rahm | Golf | $218 million |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Soccer | $135 million |
| 4 | LeBron James | Basketball | $128.2 million |
| 5 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Basketball | $111 million |
| 6 | Kylian Mbappé | Soccer | $110 million |
| 7 | Neymar | Soccer | $108 million |
| 8 | Karim Benzema | Soccer | $106 million |
| 9 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | $102 million |
| 10 | Lamar Jackson | American football | $100.5 million |
Ronaldo’s estimate exceeded Rahm’s by $42 million; Rahm’s was $83 million above Messi’s. Five of the ten athletes played soccer, three basketball, one golf and one American football.
What the 2024 ranking’s figures mean
“2024” identifies the edition of the list. Forbes says it measured income athletes collected during the 12-month period from May 1, 2023, through May 1, 2024. The reported earnings are estimates, not independently audited figures or net income after taxes and other costs. Forbes described the combined top-ten total as before taxes and agents’ fees.
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Forbes separated earnings into on-field and off-field categories. The figures below are Forbes’ estimates for the same ranking period:
| Athlete | On-field | Off-field | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo | $200 million | $60 million | $260 million |
| Jon Rahm | $198 million | $20 million | $218 million |
| Lionel Messi | $65 million | $70 million | $135 million |
| LeBron James | $48.2 million | $80 million | $128.2 million |
The split helps explain why total rank is not simply a measure of on-field pay: Forbes’ off-field estimate was greater than the on-field estimate for Messi and James.
Records Forbes reported for the 2024 list
Forbes put the ten athletes’ combined estimated earnings at $1.38 billion, before taxes and agents’ fees, and described that as the highest top-ten total at the time of publication. It also reported that every athlete in the top ten exceeded $100 million, a first in the history of its data. Forbes described Ronaldo’s $260 million estimate as an all-time high for a soccer player. These are claims reported with the May 2024 ranking, not later recalculations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Sources and scope
The ranking and earnings breakdowns are from Justin Birnbaum’s Forbes Australia article, “The world’s 10 highest-paid athletes 2024,” published May 17, 2024. BBC Sport’s May 16, 2024 report independently repeats the top-ten order and figures. The figures here cover the top ten only.
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