Cristiano Ronaldo again led the list of the highest paid athletes in the world, with a total income of $ 260 million (R $ 1.5 billion) in 2024, according to the site “Sportico”, specializing in sports finances. The portal released a ranking of the top 100, without any woman.
The list, which was dominated by names of football, NBA (the US Basketball League), NFL (The Football League), Golf and Boxing, gathered athletes who together earned about $ 6.2 billions (R $ 35.8 billion) in total income last year. The value includes US $ 4.8 billion (R $ 27.7 billion) in salaries and cash awards and US $ 1.4 billion (R $ 8, 08 billion) in sponsorships.
American tennis player Coco Gauff, former US Open champion, was the most won athlete last year with $ 30.4 million, well below Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Daniel Jones , which was 100th in the ranking, with a total income of US $ 37.5 million (R $ 216.6 million).
Cristiano Ronaldo’s lucrative contract with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr assured that he kept first place for the second year in a row after he moved to the Saudi League in December 2022.
According to Sportico, the Portuguese striker, who turned 40 last week, earned $ 215 million in salaries, plus $ 45 million in sponsorship.
The Portuguese had a yield of about $ 100 million more than the second in the ranking, Basketball player Stephen Curry of the NBA Golden State Warriors, which totaled $ 153, 8 million (R $ 888.6 million).
British boxer Tyson Fury, who lost to the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in a heavyweight confrontation in December, took third place on the list with $ 147 million ($ 849.3 million).
Argentine Lionel Messi, currently in US football, with US $ 135 million (R $ 780 million), and the wing of the Los Angeles Lakers Lebron James, with US $ 133.2 million (R $ 769.65 million), complete the top five places.
The top 100 is made up of athletes from eight sports and from 27 countries.
