Cristiano Ronaldo tops 2024's highest-paid athletes list: Key details
What's the story
Renowned footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the highest-paid athlete of 2024 by Sportico.
The superstar's total earnings for the year stood at a staggering $260 million.
The income mainly came from his salary and winnings worth $215 million, playing for Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr and Portugal's national team.
Additionally, he earned another $45 million through various off-field endorsements.
Career revival
Ronaldo's career resurgence and record-breaking performance
Now 40, Ronaldo has enjoyed a career renaissance since moving to Saudi Arabia.
He has netted a staggering 88 goals in 97 games for Al-Nassr and earlier became the first man to reach the 900 career goals milestone last year.
In the ongoing season, he owns 24 goals for Al-Nassr in 27 games.
His incredible on-field exploits have played a major role in him topping Sportico's highest-paid athletes list.
Earnings comparison
Ronaldo leads Top 10 highest-paid athletes
Ronaldo's earnings dwarfed those of other top athletes by a wide margin.
NBA superstar Stephen Curry, who clinched the second spot on the list, earned an estimated $153.8 million in 2024.
This includes $53.8 million from salary/winnings and $100 million from endorsements.
Despite a disappointing season end for his team, the Golden State Warriors, Curry played a crucial role in Team USA's basketball gold victory at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Top earners
Other top earners in Sportico's 2024 list
British boxer Tyson Fury claimed third place with $147 million.
Lionel Messi was a close fourth with an estimated $135 million.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Lakers's LeBron James rounded out the top five with an estimated $133.2 million in total earnings.
The list also featured other star athletes like Neymar Jr and Karim Benzema, further emphasizing the lucrative earning potential in professional sports.
Gender disparity
No female athletes in top 100 highest earners
Sportico's list of the top 100 highest-paid athletes in 2024 did not feature a single female athlete.
The highest-earning female athlete was US tennis player Coco Gauff, who earned an estimated $30.4 million last year.
This amount pales in comparison to the earnings of the male athletes on Sportico's list, emphasizing the stark gender gap in professional sports earnings.
Performance
Year-ender: Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first man with 900 career goals
The year 2024 saw football legend Ronaldo adding another feather to his cap. He became the first man to complete 900 career goals in football.
According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), Ronaldo tops the goal-scoring chart with 924 of them.
His counterpart Messi follows him with 850 goals.
Notably, Ronaldo is one of only three men with over 100 goals in international football. He owns 135 goals from 217 internationals.