Top 10 Highest-Earning Men’s Athletes in 2024: Who Makes the Most Money?

The sports industry today is a commercial juggernaut with sports teams and sports persons becoming growing enterprises, thanks to the exponential growth in fanbases, locally and internationally. The global sports market is currently valued at a whopping US$484 million with an annual growth rate of nearly 4% which indicates an ever growing trend of commercial interest in the field of sports. 

It’s all thanks to the superhuman efforts of the athletes involved and the mutually inclusive nature of success for fans and their favourite athletes and teams. From football to Formula 1, this ensures riveting sporting narratives each year with the quality on show only exceeding expectations. Along with it is also the growing financial influx from fans, sponsors and other stakeholders in the sport alike. 

The impact of social media cannot be understated as it builds sports teams and especially doting athletes as worldwide brands thereby increasing their fanbase, which in turn, brings in commercial entities with growing multi-million dollar contracts each year. As a result, athletes today are brand magnates which is evident in the way their earnings increase year-on-year. 

Some, though, have broken ceilings that were once a pipe dream. The top 10 highest earning athletes today bring in revenue that tops a billion dollars each year which shows their excellence as performers on the field and their sales pitches off it. With half of it being populated by footballers, it also shows which sport(s) owns the lion’s share of the big bucks. Today, we will be seeing about ten such athletes who are the highest earners in the world. 

10.) Lamar Jackson – $100.5 million 

The only American Football player on this list, 27-year-old Lamar Jackson makes the list for the first time after gaining a cool $72.5 million upon signing on the dotted line for the Baltimore Ravens franchise in the NFL. For his part, Jackson won the 2023 NFL MVP award leading his franchise’s fortunes in the high-stakes world of the National Football League. While his off-field earnings don’t form a significant part of his revenue, Jackson has made moves in the commercial world by signing partnerships with companies such as Oakley, the renowned eyewear brand. 

9.) Stephen Curry – $102 million 

Stephen Curry’s NBA career sparks of glitter and greatness. In a glorious 13-year association with the Golden State Warriors, the 36-year-old has won four NBA championships, finished NBA Finals MVP in 2022, a two-time NBA MVP (2015 & 2016) and voted among the 75 greatest players in NBA history on its 75th anniversary. 

As a result, the point guard’s heroics fetch him around $52 million for his on-field efforts for the 7-time champions. Off-the-field, Curry signed a lifetime partnership with Under Armour to create his signature Curry brand, similar to the Jordan Brand created between Michael Jordan and Nike. 

He also holds endorsement deals with brands like Rakuten, Chase, Nissan, JP Morgan and cryptocurrency firm FTX. These deals including his shoe deal with Under Armour fetch him a cumulative $50 million dollars a year. Considering the way he is continuing to guide the Warriors, expect Curry’s earnings to only go up from here. 

8.) Karim Benzema – $106 million 

The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner completed a move to Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad at the start of the season in a deal that would fetch him $100 million per season. Benzema was one of many star names who moved to the Gulf nation in 2023 following Cristiano Ronaldo’s move six months earlier. 

Benzema endured an injury-riddled first season but scored 16 goals in 33 games for the Jeddah-based club. Off-the-field, he pocketed $6 million from deals with Hyundai, local brands SFR (telecom) and LCL (banking), Bwin and his boot deal with Adidas. The 9-time SPL Champions will hope for better from the Frenchman who will compete against his former teammate Ronaldo next season in their quest to become only the second Saudi club to win 10 league titles after defending champions Al-Hilal. 

7.) Neymar Jr. – $108 million 

The Brazilian superstar swapped the glitzy lights of Paris for Riyadh when he moved to record SPL winners Al-Hilal ahead of the 2023-24 season. It required some coaxing to bring him to Al-Hilal and boy didn’t the record champions flex their financial muscle! Along with his $80 million a year salary, Neymar’s contract also included a list of incredible perks such as a fully-staffed mansion, a private jet and a fleet of luxury cars. 

But his employers would’ve been left rather red-faced when Neymar unfortunately suffered a season-ending ACL injury when on duty with this native Brazil, which would also keep him out of the 2024 Copa America. In his long absence since, Neymar has been busy making deals in the boardroom, launching more new boots with Puma and endorsing international brands such as Epic Games (Fortnite), Red Bull, Qatar Airways, Gillette and Gaga Milano among a host of other brands. 

The Al-Hilal organization will hope for his swift return to the football pitch to make good on his salary for the record & defending champions. And the Brazilian will hope to put a full stop to an injury-laden last few years and get back to his intent of playing and enjoying football. 

6.) Kylian Mbappe – $110 million*

*Figures considered before moving to Real Madrid 

The youngest athlete on this list, it’s incredible that Kylian Mbappe has already played 10 professional seasons, won his first-ever World Cup where he scored in the final, reached and scored a hat-trick in another World Cup final and won a World Cup top scorer award, all before 25. Despite his young age, his star has continuously been on the rise thanks to his incredible footballing talent that shines for club and country. 

Mbappe has missed out on the league title in only two of his 10 seasons, but the dream was to win the elusive UEFA Champions League title, the biggest prize in club football, for his hometown club Paris Saint-Germain. While that might stick out as a sore thumb during his time at the French capital, Mbappe did play his part with 256 goals in 308 games for Le Parisien, which included 42 goals in 64 Champions League games. 

For his efforts, Mbappe was paid around $90 million as part of his playing contract. Mbappe’s growing brand appeal is evident with endorsement deals with Hublot and Oakley and a mega-boot deal with Nike that pays him nearly $22 million/year. The American sportswear giant releases signature Nike x Mbappe Mercurial Superfly boots each year making him the youngest player to get a signature line with the company. Mbappe also started his own production company in 2022, working with outlets like the NBA.

After seven years in the French capital, Mbappe decided to make his long-drawn move to his dream club Real Madrid in the summer of 2024. Now at the team of his dreams, the record winners of the Champions League, a team well-versed with winning the biggest prizes and Mbappe himself with an already glittering CV, success, including that Champions League title, and more money in the bank only seems to be a matter of time for the all-conquering Frenchman.

5.) Giannis Antetokounmpo – $111 million 

The Greek Freak is one of the faces of the NBA and has the stats and career to back it up. Like Curry, Giannis has only featured for the Milwaukee Bucks for over a decade and delivered an NBA Championship in 2021, the Bucks’ first in 50 years. He has also won back-to-back NBA MVPs in 2019 and 2020 and has made the NBA All-Star Game for the past eight years in a row and like Curry, Antetokounmpo was also voted among the NBA’s 75 Greatest Players on its 75th anniversary. 

Giannis’ contributions have already etched him in Bucks’ folklore. Despite a few injuries and his team’s form dwindling post the title win, the 29-year-old continues to earn big in Milwaukee thanks to a $46 million per year contract. But he has also added to his on-field payments with savvy deals off it. Currently, the basketballer has endorsement deals with WhatsApp, Tissot, JBL and Google among others. Like many of his peers, Giannis has also started his own signature line with Nike and also runs a production company working with major brands like Pepsi. In 2023, Giannis and his brothers bought a minority stake in MLS club Nashville SC. With his sporting abilities and personality and the fact that he is still only 29, it’s a safe bet that Giannis’ stardom and bank balance will only continue to soar higher. 

4.) LeBron James – $128 million 

Even at 39, LeBron James, despite being the highest points scorer in the NBA’s rich history, continues unabated in his quest to add to his four NBA Championships and numerous other records. His unquenchable thirst for excellence forms part of one of the most glittering careers in not just basketball, but professional sport. James is also among a mere handful of athletes who are billionaire sportsmen. 

Now in the final year of his deal with the vaunted Los Angeles Lakers franchise, James is currently paid $48 million which could rise to $52 million in his final year. But James has not just been at the top of his game, but also his sales pitches. The 4-time NBA MVP and winner has a roster of brands to his already burgeoning endorsement and investment portfolio. 

Throughout his career, James has made savvy deals that multiply his value over time. Currently he has investments and endorses mega brands like Calm (a wellness app), Beats by Dre, Blaze Pizza and DraftKings. James also holds minority stakes in the PGA Tour Enterprises, the premier global Golf tour and Liverpool FC through his investment in Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group. Otherwise, the 39-year-old endorses brands such as Louis Vuitton, Verizon, Intel and Kia among others which brings his endorsement portfolio earnings to around $80 million a year. 

Not to mention, his lifetime deal with Nike which would gain LeBron a billion dollars along with a continued line of his signature LeBron shoes. All-in-all, James has cultivated a stable of commercial interests that will fill his coffers for a lifetime and establish him as one of the best sports entrepreneurs of all time. 

3.) Lionel Messi – $135 million 

Arguably the greatest footballer of all time, Messi continues to dazzle on the pitch despite making a move to unchartered territories. His fabled move to David Beckham’s Inter Miami signalled a power change in the MLS. If Messi’s arrival on the U.S. shores wasn’t fabled enough, his opening bow couldn’t have been more heroic as Messi scored a last-minute free kick to win his first game for the club, sending the DRV PNK Arena and the footballing world into a dizzy. 

Since then, Messi has made football look pretty easy in North America scoring 26 goals in 30 games The 2022 World Cup winner’s arrival has elevated his club and the league’s profile like none other. Inter Miami who were a struggling club until then have now announced record revenues with their current valuation at 1.03 billion, the second highest among MLS clubs. The club have also added Messi’s former teammates Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez to their fold further adding to the star quality. 

Upon his arrival, Inter Miami’s shirt sales spiked up by 50 times (guess which shirt sold the most) and so did MLS Season Pass subscriptions on Apple TV by stratospherical margins. It showcases an unprecedented level of interest in one man. And the club had their fair share, agreeing partnerships with Royal Caribbean, a cruise company and agreeing to the biggest shirt deal in league history. From Baltimore to Bangkok, there is no sports shop where Messi’s iconic pink jersey doesn’t hang or disappear off a shelf. 

Take a look at the MLS website homepage and it’s Messi and Inter Miami everywhere and you will always see this pop up upon landing on the homepage. 

(Credit: MLS [@mlssoccer.com])

Seeing the writing on the wall, Messi and his entourage negotiated deals garnering a sizable share of both revenue agreements, and before you know it, Messi’s endorsement deals propped up his off-field earnings to $70 million. 

Messi though has not been keeping his millions under the carpet, launching his own hydration product brand Mas+, a product similar to Prime, the hydration drink launched by influencers Logan Paul and KSI. He also announced partnerships with brands such as Lowe, Apple and Konami among others. His MLS contract also offers him the option to purchase an MLS expansion franchise upon retirement and also bags him a cool $65 million a year for his on-field efforts. 

With Messi set to enjoy his final years at Miami beach, interest is not dwindling anytime soon among football crazy fans in North America, especially the big swathe of Latin and Spanish-speaking football fans, wanting to get as much of a piece as they can of their sporting hero. Meanwhile, the reticent Argentinian will continue to do his talking with a ball at his feet and profitable business ventures otherwise. 

2.) Jon Rahm – $218 million 

The only golfer in this list, Rahm was enticed to join LIV Golf, a privately-backed tour by the cash-rich Saudi enterprise in a deal that would profit him by nearly $350 million over the duration of the contract. After much deliberation, the Spaniard made the switch from the traditional PGA Tour in 2023. 

And Rahm has already earned more than $6 million in tournaments that he has played in 2024 and is set to sign a new deal that could fetch him a 25% stake in the franchise-based league. 

1.) Cristiano Ronaldo – $260 million 

The Portuguese supremo is the highest earning sports person for a fourth year in a row showcasing his brilliance in the sporting arena. Like many instances throughout his career, Ronaldo has shown his ability to break new barriers after making a historic move to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. Not only did Ronaldo set out the red carpet for other bigger stars to follow, but he marked a new era in sport by agreeing to a world record $200 million a year contract with the Saudi club when he joined them in January last year. 

And Ronaldo has done his part, scoring the highest goals in an SPL season. Although he missed out on the league title, Ronaldo’s earnings show no signs of slowing down. Like LeBron James, Ronaldo has been peerless in his off-field efforts, agreeing new deals with companies such as crypto firm Binance, fitness app Erakulis and Whoop, a company that specializes in building fitness and health wearable products. 

Along with it, Ronaldo continues to have endorsements with Clear Hair Care and Herbalife. Not to forget, his lifetime deal with Nike which, like LeBron’s, will fetch him over a billion dollars. 

A key part of Ronaldo’s appeal is his gargantuan social media following. With 629 million Instagram followers, Ronaldo is among the most synonymous names on the planet today beyond just sporting circles. As a result, he adds an unprecedented level of brand value to his brands that won’t blink an eye in associating themselves with the all-conquering Portuguese. And Ronaldo continues to push the envelope, marking himself as a peer in building his brand and businesses. 

Fun fact: If Ronaldo was a country, thanks to his fan following, he would be the third-most populous nation on Earth behind only India and China!

In recognition of his efforts to put Portugal on the map, Ronaldo’s first professional club Sporting CP announced their third jersey to be a special collaboration with the Nike x CR7 brand for the 23-24 season. His name was also bestowed to the airport of his hometown Madeira, an island off the Portuguese mainland. 

Sporting CP announced their third kit for the 2023-24 season in association with the CR7 brand (Credit: Footy Headlines)

At 39, Ronaldo is still in peak physical shape and shows no signs of slowing down or no intent in putting his feet up or settling with what he has. The unstoppable forward will lead his nation in his sixth Euros campaign and like always, will leave no stone unturned to win a second continental title for his nation. 

HIGHEST EARNING SPORTS ATHLETES IN 2024

*Figures considered at Paris Saint-Germain before his move to Real Madrid