10 Richest Athletes Of The World In 2024

10. Jared Goff

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In the 10^th position of the list of richest athletes of the world, we have Jared Goff. Known as a professional football quarterback for the Detroit Lions, Goff led his team to their first playoff win since 1991, making himself crowned as the 10^th richest athlete of the world. He has also earned Pro Bowl honors in 2022 and 2024. Born on October 14, 1994, this 30-year-old footballer played college football for California Golden Bears. He was picked by Los Angeles Rams in 2016 NFL draft.

Goff has signed a four-year contract with Detroit Lions, which is worth $212 million. His average annual salary is reported to be $53 million. Apart from this, Goff also showcases an impressive line-up of brand deals. His brand deals include Jared Jewelers, Ford, Old Spice and Netflix. Goff also boats his own line of clothing called JG16.

9. Kylian Mbappé

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The ninth and only under 30 entry of the list of richest athletes of 2024 is Kylian Mbappé. Born on 20^th December 1998, Mbappé is a French footballer, who has recently gained an enormous amount of fame after the recent FIFA World Cup.

He plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and is the captain of France National Team. Mbappé signed with Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, at the age of 18. The deal brought him €180 million making him considered as the second-most expensive player. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he won Golden Boot and Silver Ball setting a new record of scoring the most goals in world cup finals.  

In June 2023, Mbappé became the very first ambassador of Sorare, which is a cryptocurrency-based fantasy game. However, he got into a dispute with French Football Federation as he refused to take part in a photo shoot with the national team.

Nevertheless, his growing popularity has made him one of the richest athletes of 2024.

8. Giannis Antetokuonmpo

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Giannis Antetokuonmpo has gained the 8^th position in the list of 10 richest athletes of the world. The famous Greek and Nigerian NBA player is known as the ‘Greek Freak’ for his speed, strength, size and his origin. He is also known as the greatest power forwards of NBA history. Born on December 6, 1994, Giannis Antetokuonmpo was raised in Athens by Nigerian Parents. He started his sports career with the youth teams of Filathlitikos. In 2011 he started playing in the senior team of the club. In 2013 he entered NBA draft and was selected by The Bucks as 15^th overall. He led the team in all five major statistical categories and received the award of most improved player in 2017.

Giannis Antetokuonmpo is also known as the one of the most decorated players in NBA history. Having won the title of the NBA Most Valuable Player Awards in 2019 and 2020, he joined Kareem Abdul Jabbar and LeBron James as the only player to win two NBA MVP before turning 26. Giannis Antetokuonmpo also boasts brands deals like Nike, Google, Amazon and PepsiCo. Apart from this, he has his own production company called Improbable Media.

7. Karim Benzema

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In the 7^th position we have Karim Benzema with an impressive net worth of $104 million. Karim Benzema is a professional footballer to play as a striker and also as a caption of Al-Ittihad, the Saudi Pro League Club. He is well-known for his title of second-highest goal scorer. He also has a record of winning 25 trophies with Real Madrid.

Born on 19^th December 1987, this 37-year-old footballer started his early sports career in 2005 with his hometown club Lyon. By 2008 he was named as the player of the year of Ligue 1 and finished the league as the top goal scorer. According to reports, Karim Benzema earned $104 million in 2024 making himself the 7^th richest athlete of the world. He earned $100 million on-field and $4 million off field. His sponsorship includes a deal with Adidas.

6. Stephen Curry

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Wardell Stephen Curry II has acquired the 6th position in the richest athlete list with a net worth of $105.8 million. He was born on 14^th March 1988 and is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Stephen Curry is reported to be the one to make the highest salary this season. This is an impact of his four-year contract extension of $215 million in last August. This is how his on-field worth has reached to $45.8 million.

He has signed an endorsement deal with FTX along with his blockchain investment that was initiated in last December. He has also released a collection of NFT featuring his sneakers. Moreover, his production company, Unanimous Media, signed a development deal with Comcast NBCUniversal and raised his off-field worth to $47 million.

5. Neymar

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Neymar Jr. has made a comeback as the 5^th richest athletes of the world with an impressive net worth of $110 Million. He is one of the most well-known footballers to international audience and plays as a left winger and forward Campeonato Brasileiro Série A team Santos and the Brazil national team. He is acclaimed as one of the very few players to score at least 100 goals with three different clubs. He is also known as the all-time top goal scorer for Brazil.

His professional football career started in 2009 with Brazilian club Santos. In 2011 he led the club in their first win in Copa Libertadores in almost 50 years. In 2013 he joined Barcelona and then in 2017 he joined Paris Saint-Germain. In 2023 he was recruited by Al-Hilal and currently, from 2025 he has made a return in Santos. Neymar’s brand deals include Puma, Blaze Casino, Red Bull, Skims, Quatar Airways and more, which significantly contribute in his off-field earnings.

4. LeBron James

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LeBron James has acquired the 4th position in the list of richest athletes of the world. He is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), who was born on 30^th December 1984. His net worth is $128.7 million. His on-field worth is $41.2 million, which is because of his undoubtedly advanced skills.

However, the major dominance of James stays out of the court. He starred in Space Jam: A New Legacy, he moved his talk show, The Shop, from HBO to YouTube. He even sold a significant minority stake of SprigHill, which is his production company. In January he announced an endorsement deal with Crypto.com. Moreover, he appeared in a Super Bowl commercial. This does not end here as he has also invested in home gym company Tonal, along with StatusPRO, a sports tech start-up that creates virtual reality training products, pushing his off-field worth to $80 million.

3. Lionel Messi

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Now we have almost reached the end of the list and here we can see that Lionel Messi is officially the richest athlete of the world with a net worth of $135 million. This Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team, was born on 24^th June 1987. He is one of the most popular athletes to exist and he is also regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He won Ballon d’Or in 2021 as the world’s best men’s soccer player. However, his recent matches have become a subject of criticism. Nevertheless, Messi has been successful in acquiring an on-field worth of $75 million.

He has currently signed a $20 million-a-year Partnership with Socios. His endorsement portfolios include brands like Adidas, Budweiser, and PepsiCo. He has also become the very first athlete brand ambassador of Hard Rock International. All of these resulted in an off-field worth of $55 million, which is similar to Rolando’s earnings. The increasing social media presence of the athlete is expected to impact his earnings and retain him as the richest player of the world for a long time.

2. Jon Rahm

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Jon Rahm's rise to become the world's second-richest athlete is a testament to his prowess on the golf course and his savvy business acumen. His record-breaking move to LIV Golf in 2023, with a reported contract worth over $500 million, significantly boosted his earnings. This lucrative deal, combined with his impressive tournament winnings and endorsement deals with major brands like Callaway, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolex, has propelled him to the top of the financial leaderboard in the sports world.

Rahm's financial success is not solely attributed to his on-course achievements. His strategic partnerships with prominent brands have further solidified his position as a top earner in the sports industry. With his continued success and growing portfolio, Jon Rahm is poised to remain a dominant force in both the world of golf and the realm of high-earning athletes for years to come.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo 

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Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is the third richest player of the world without a single doubt, especially when he is regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time. He currently plays as a forward for Premier League club Manchester United and captains the Portugal national team. The first season of this year was quite disappointing for Ronaldo, however, players like Ronaldo do not dwell in disappointing performance. The net worth of the player is $225 million. The on-field worth is $60 million.  

The majority of his off-field income, which is worth $55 million, comes from his social media presence. He has 690 million followers in Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. His endorsement projects include collaboration with Nike, Clear shampoo and Herballife. He has also invested in Tatel restaurants. Additionally, he is the face off ZujuGP, which is an application to become a digital soccer community.