Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list with $260 million in earnings

Not a single woman was named in Sportico’s annual list of the 100 highest-paid athletes, released on Wednesday.

The list, which includes athletes from eight sports and 27 countries, places Cristiano Ronaldo at the top, with $260 million in earnings from salary, winnings, and endorsements in 2024.

Following Ronaldo is Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, who earned $153.8 million. Boxer Tyson Fury, soccer legend Lionel Messi, and NBA star LeBron James round out the top five.

No female athletes make the cut

Despite the rise in women’s sports viewership, no female athlete made the top 100 list.

Coco Gauff was the highest-paid female athlete of 2024, with estimated earnings of $30.4 million—about $7 million short of making the list. The 100th-ranked athlete, NFL quarterback Daniel Jones, earned $37.5 million.

Jones, who left the New York Giants in November, was benched due to poor performances, and the team’s offense ranked last in the NFL.

Gauff, on the other hand, had an exceptional year, making history as the youngest Olympic flag bearer for Team USA at just 20 years old. She also:

• Won the doubles title at the French Open, becoming the youngest player in 19 years to win both a singles and doubles Grand Slam title.
• Won the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, becoming the fourth American to do so before turning 21.

Women last appeared on the list in 2022

The last time a woman made the list was in 2022, when Naomi Osaka ranked 20th with $53.2 million in earnings. That year, Serena Williams also made the cut at No. 52, earning $35.3 million.

Osaka and Williams also appeared on the 2021 list, with Osaka ranking 15th ($55.2 million) and Williams at No. 44 ($35.5 million).

Top 100 athletes earned a combined $6.2 billion in 2024

According to Sportico, the top 100 athletes earned a combined $6.2 billion in 2024, including:

• $4.8 billion in salary and prize money
• $1.4 billion from endorsements and sponsorships

The top 12 earners all made over $100 million, with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott rounding out that group at $100.4 million.

The last athlete to make over $50 million was New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson (No. 47, $50 million), while the remaining 53 athletes earned between $37.5 million and $49.8 million.

Ronaldo’s Saudi move cements his top spot

Ronaldo’s record-breaking salary stems from his move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, in addition to his long-standing endorsement deals, which contributed $45 million to his total earnings.

Since joining Al Nassr, he has scored 82 goals in 90 games. In September 2024, he became the first player to score 900 career goals.

Curry, Fury, and Messi among highest earners

Curry secured his runner-up spot on the list after leading Team USA to Olympic gold at the Paris Games.

Boxer Tyson Fury ranked third, earning $140 million from his fights, with an additional $7 million from endorsements.

Rising viewership for women’s sports

Although no female athlete made the list, women’s sports saw record-breaking viewership in 2024:

• The women’s NCAA basketball final between Iowa and South Carolina had an average of 19 million viewers, surpassing the men’s final.
• Team USA’s gold medal match in women’s soccer at the Olympics drew 9.4 million viewers.
• The NWSL championship game in November saw an 18% increase in viewership, while the league’s total viewership jumped fivefold from 2023, reaching 18.7 million viewers.
• The WNBA Finals recorded a 115% increase from 2023, with an average of 1.6 million viewers.

Despite the surge in popularity, no woman’s earnings surpassed the $37.5 million threshold required to make the list in 2024.