Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo: photosport
Cristiano Ronaldo again topped the list of the world's highest-paid athletes with total income of $US260 million ($NZ460 million) in 2024, according to sports industry news site Sportico, but there were no women in the top 100.
The leading 100, dominated by players from football, the NBA, NFL, golf and boxing, earned an estimated $US6.2 billion in total income last year. The figure includes $US4.8bn in salary and prize money, plus $US1.4bn in endorsements.
Former US Open tennis champion Coco Gauff was the top-earning female athlete last year at $US30.4 million, well short of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones who squeezed in at number 100 with a total income of $US37.5m.
Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's goal. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Ronaldo's lucrative contract with Saudi Arabian football team Al-Nassr ensured he retained top spot for a second straight year after he moved to the Saudi Pro League in December 2022.
Sportico said the Portugal forward, who celebrated his 40th birthday last week, earned a hefty $US215m in wages while he also made $US45m in endorsements.
Steph Curry. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Ronaldo is so far ahead of the other athletes in the world that Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who is second on the list, earned $US153.8m in comparison - more than $US100m short of the five-times Ballon d'Or winner.
British boxer Tyson Fury, who lost to Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk in a heavyweight clash in December, is third on the list at $US147m.
The top five are rounded out by Inter Miami's Argentina captain Lionel Messi ($US135m) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James ($US133.2m) - the only 40-year-old currently playing in the NBA.
The top 100 is made up of athletes from eight sports and hailing from 27 countries.
Photo: Photosport / AAP / Lukas Coch
While American Gauff, who is only 20, could climb up the list in the years to come, there have been other women athletes who would have cracked the list in the past.
Business magazine Forbes said Japan's four-times Grand Slam tennis champion Naomi Osaka was the world's highest-paid female athlete in 2022 after she pulled in $US57.3m in prize money and endorsements.
Retired tennis great Serena Williams, who won 23 singles majors, earned $US41.8m in 2021 according to Forbes. The American retired from the sport in 2022 at the US Open.
- Reuters
