Source:USA TODAY Sports/Gary A. Vasquez
[Saba Sports News] American sports business media Sportico has released the list of the top 100 highest-paid athletes in the world for 2024. This list tallies athletes’ earnings over the past year, including salaries, bonuses, and endorsement fees, but does not cover investment income, and all figures are pre-tax. The list shows that the top 100 athletes come from eight different sports, with football and basketball dominating—36 from basketball and 22 from football, while boxing has six athletes on the list, and motorsports only has two. Among the highest earners, Cristiano Ronaldo, who just turned 40, leads with 260 million. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen ranks 18th with 76 million, while Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton is 22nd with 60.1 million. Although Verstappen’s 76 million is significantly lower than Ronaldo’s 260 million, if the rumors about Aston Martin offering a 1.2 billion contract for five years are true, along with earnings from other areas, Verstappen could have a chance to compete with Ronaldo for the top spot on the income list.