[Image: GoodFon]
Cristiano Ronaldo is still securing the big bags! The Portuguese superstar topped Sportico’s list of highest-paid athletes in 2024, pulling in a jaw-dropping $260 million.
But here’s the kicker – not a single female athlete made the top 100.
Ronaldo’s earnings came largely from his $215 million salary and winnings with Al-Nassr and Portugal, plus another $45 million in endorsements. At 40, he’s proving age is just a number, racking up 82 goals in 90 games for Al-Nassr and hitting a ridiculous 900 career goals milestone last year.
Joining him in the top 10 are fellow Saudi league cash kings Neymar and Karim Benzema, though Neymar has since bounced back to Brazil. Meanwhile, Steph Curry locked in second place with a cool $153.8 million, thanks to his hefty endorsements and leading Team USA to Olympic gold.
Rounding out the top five: heavyweight champ Tyson Fury ($147M), Lionel Messi ($135M), and LeBron James ($133.2M). And for the NFL fans, Dak Prescott led the charge at 12th ($100.4M), while Super Bowl-winning QB Jalen Hurts sat at 65th ($46.1M).
But it stings no women cracked the top 100.
US tennis star Coco Gauff was the highest-paid female athlete at $30.4 million, a stellar year that included a WTA Finals win and an Olympic history-making moment. But even that wasn’t enough to make the cut, with the last name on the list—NFL quarterback Daniel Jones—pulling in $37.5 million.
The numbers tell the story: Sportico’s top 100 athletes earned a combined $6.2 billion in 2024 (with athletes from eight sports and 27 countries), yet the gender pay gap in sports remains massive.
So while the fellas are stacking millions, it’s time to ask – when will women get their payday?
[Source: CNN]
