Steph Curry earned more money than Lionel Messi in 2024
The list of the highest paid athletes in 2024 has been released.
Sportico revealed its 2024 list of the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes, highlighting the significant impact of Cristiano Ronaldo. In addition to leading the list, Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr helped pave the way for other high-profile athletes to join Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning sports scene, several of whom also made the top 10.
Lionel Messi’s high-profile transfer to Inter Miami and Major League Soccer earned him the fourth spot, showcasing the financial clout of his arrival in the United States, but noticeably he was not second.
Sportico clarified that the salaries for football and basketball reflect weighted averages of base pay for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, along with any bonuses paid in 2024. These earnings were calculated across multiple seasons based on estimated payment schedules.
🚨🇸🇦 Cristiano Ronaldo on his future: “I’m happy in Saudi and my family is happy. We started a new life in this beautiful country”.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 3, 2025
“Work hard, respect the club, respect your contract and believe that things will change – for Al Nassr to try to win more titles”. pic.twitter.com/Bt4gzKcKV0
Here is the breakdown of the top earners:
- Cristiano Ronaldo | Football - Al Nassr | $215 million in salary + $45 million in sponsorships = $260 million
- Stephen Curry | NBA - Golden State Warriors | $53.8 million in salary + $100 million in endorsements = $153.8 million
- Tyson Fury | Boxing | $140 million in salary + $7 million in sponsorships = $147 million
- Lionel Messi | Football - Inter Miami | $60 million in salary + $75 million in sponsorships = $135 million
- LeBron James | NBA - Lakers | $48.2 million in salary + $85 million in endorsements = $133.2 million
- Neymar | Football - Al Hilal/Santos | $108 million in salary + $25 million in sponsorships = $133 million
- Oleksandr Usyk | Boxing | $120 million in salary + $2 million in sponsorships = $122 million
- Karim Benzema | Football - Al Ittihad | $108 million in salary + $8 million in sponsorships = $116 million
- Kylian Mbappé | Football - PSG/Real Madrid | $85 million in salary + $25 million in sponsorships = $110 million
- Jon Rahm | Golf | $85.8 million in salary + $20 million in endorsements = $105.8 million
Saudi Arabia’s influence is evident in the dominance of its athletes in the top 10, with Ronaldo leading the charge, Neymar’s Al Hilal contract setting new benchmarks, and Karim Benzema shining with Al Ittihad as their second-highest scorer.
Even Spanish golfer Jon Rahm saw a financial boost from his participation in Saudi-backed events. Meanwhile, Messi’s U.S. debut made waves financially, placing him just behind Ronaldo. Stephen Curry and LeBron James also solidified their spots in the top five, driven by their star power with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively.
One surprising financial comparison is that of Stephen Curry and Lionel Messi. Stephen Curry’s $153.8 million in total earnings beats Messi’s $135 million, mainly due to Curry’s massive $100 million in endorsements.
🧵 of the top 10 highest-paid athletes in the world and how they earned their spot on the list ⤵️https://t.co/RN4FaH1t5N
— Sportico (@Sportico) February 13, 2025
Despite Messi’s global fame as one of the greatest footballers of all time, his endorsement total of $75 million falls short of Curry’s. This speaks to Curry’s widespread appeal beyond basketball, especially in areas like apparel and lifestyle brands.
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