Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese football star, has once again topped the list of highest-earning athletes worldwide, according to a recent study by Sportico.   

Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, earned an estimated $260 million in 2024, surpassing his 2023 earnings of $275 million. This marks the second consecutive year that he has led the rankings, raking in approximately $1 billion per day.   

Following Ronaldo in second place is NBA star Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, with earnings of $153.8 million. In third place is boxer Tyson Fury with $147 million, while football legend Lionel Messi and basketball icon LeBron James secured fourth and fifth positions, earning $135 million and $133.2 million, respectively.   

The remaining top 10 spots are occupied by Neymar ($133 million), Oleksandr Usyk ($122 million), Karim Benzema ($116 million), Kylian Mbappé ($110 million), and Jon Rahm ($105.8 million).

Notably, the top 100 earners on Sportico's list are all male athletes. The highest-earning female athlete is tennis star Coco Gauff, who earned $30.4 million. However, her ranking falls around 125th when considering both male and female athletes.   

Among Asian athletes, Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani, who plays for the Los Angeles Angels in Major League Baseball, earned the most with $72.5 million, securing the 21st spot overall and the highest among baseball players.

When considering only endorsement earnings, Curry leads the pack with $100 million, followed by James with $85 million. Messi, Ohtani, and Tiger Woods round out the top five endorsement earners, with $75 million, $70 million, and $52 million, respectively. Woods, who earned a total of $62.1 million, ranks 27th overall.

This data highlights the significant financial success of top athletes in various sports, with Ronaldo leading the way for the second consecutive year.

[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]