Top 50 Highest-Paid Athletes in the World 2024 [Full List]

Here is the full list of the top 50 highest-paid athletes in the world, Forbes’ latest list showcases the top 50 highest-paid athletes globally, revealing staggering figures that highlight the immense wealth generated by these sports icons.

According to Forbes, the world’s 50 highest-paid athletes collectively earned approximately $3.88 billion over the last 12 months before taxes and agents’ fees. This amount reflects a 13% increase from the previous year’s record of $3.44 billion. The majority of this income, around 76% or $2.94 billion, was derived from on-field earnings such as salaries, bonuses, and prize money, partly due to the influx of Middle Eastern investments in sports. The remaining 24%, equivalent to $936 million, came from endorsements, appearances, licensing, memorabilia income, and other business ventures. This off-field income saw a 13% decrease compared to the previous year’s $1.08 billion.

From Cristiano Ronaldo’s reign as the highest-paid athlete to the notable presence of stars like Jon Rahm, Lionel Messi, and LeBron James, we provides insights into the earnings, endorsements, and financial standings of the world’s elite athletes. Explore the financial success and marketability of these sports stars as they continue to redefine the boundaries of earning potential in the realm of professional sports.

List of Top 50 Highest-Paid Athletes in the World:

Rank	Name	Sport	Total Earnings	On-the-Field Earnings	Off-the-Field Earnings
1	Cristiano Ronaldo	Soccer	$260 M	$200 M	$60 M
2	Jon Rahm	Golf	$218 M	$198 M	$20 M
3	Lionel Messi	Soccer	$135 M	$65 M	$70 M
4	LeBron James	Basketball	$128.2 M	$48.2 M	$80 M
5	Giannis Antetokounmpo	Basketball	$111 M	$46 M	$65 M
6	Kylian Mbappé	Soccer	$110 M	$90 M	$20 M
7	Neymar	Soccer	$108 M	$80 M	$28 M
8	Karim Benzema	Soccer	$106 M	$100 M	$6 M
9	Stephen Curry	Basketball	$102 M	$52 M	$50 M
10	Lamar Jackson	Football	$100.5 M	$98.5 M	$2 M
11	Joe Burrow	Football	$100 M	$96 M	$4 M
12	Kevin Durant	Basketball	$93.3 M	$47.8 M	$45.5 M
13	Shohei Ohtani	Baseball	$85.3 M	$25.3 M	$60 M
14	Canelo Alvarez	Boxing	$85 M	$75 M	$10 M
15	Patrick Mahomes	Football	$84.4 M	$59.4 M	$25 M
16	Anthony Joshua	Boxing	$83 M	$75 M	$8 M
17	Max Verstappen	Auto Racing	$81 M	$76 M	$5 M
18	Aaron Rodgers	Football	$80.8 M	$71.8 M	$9 M
19	Rory McIlroy	Golf	$80.1 M	$35.1 M	$45 M
20	Justin Herbert	Football	$78.7 M	$67.7 M	$11 M
21	Lewis Hamilton	Auto Racing	$69 M	$57 M	$12 M
22	Nick Bosa	Football	$68 M	$66.5 M	$1.5 M
23	Tiger Woods	Golf	$67.2 M	$12.2 M	$55 M
24	Kirk Cousins	Football	$62.5 M	$60 M	$2.5 M
25	Klay Thompson	Basketball	$62.3 M	$43.3 M	$19 M
26	Damian Lillard	Basketball	$61.9 M	$45.9 M	$16 M
27	Erling Haaland	Soccer	$61 M	$46 M	$15 M
28	Max Scherzer	Baseball	$59.9 M	$58.9 M	$1 M
29	Scottie Scheffler	Golf	$59.2 M	$39.2 M	$20 M
30	Joel Embiid	Basketball	$57.7 M	$47.7 M	$10 M
31	Jimmy Butler	Basketball	$57.5 M	$45.5 M	$12 M
32	Nikola Jokic	Basketball	$56.1 M	$48.1 M	$8 M
33	James Harden	Basketball	$55.8 M	$35.8 M	$20 M
34	Luka Doncic	Basketball	$55.1 M	$40.1 M	$15 M
35	Bradley Beal	Basketball	$54.3 M	$46.8 M	$7.5 M
36	Chris Jones	Football	$54.1 M	$53.1 M	$1 M
37	Kawhi Leonard	Basketball	$53.7 M	$45.7 M	$8 M
38	Mohamed Salah	Soccer	$53 M	$35 M	$18 M
39	Paul George	Basketball	$52.7 M	$45.7 M	$7 M
40	Sadio Mané	Soccer	$52 M	$48 M	$4 M
41	Brian Burns	Football	$51.7 M	$51.5 M	$0.2 M
42	Tyson Fury	Boxing	$50 M	$42 M	$8 M
43	Cameron Smith	Golf	$48 M	$44 M	$4 M
44	Trae Young	Basketball	$47.3 M	$40.3 M	$7 M
45	Deshaun Watson	Football	$47 M	$46 M	$1 M
46	Rashan Gary	Football	$46.8 M	$46.5 M	$0.3 M
47	Anthony Davis	Basketball	$46.2 M	$41.2 M	$5 M
48	Zion Williamson	Basketball	$46.1 M	$34.1 M	$12 M
49	Jayson Tatum	Basketball	$45.9 M	$32.9 M	$13 M
50	Devin Booker	Basketball	$45.2 M	$36.2 M	$9 M