remained the highest-earning athlete in 2024, according to a ranking of the top 100 compiled by . The Portuguese star, even though he turned 40 last week, has surpassed the $100 million earnings barrier for the past eight years, while since last year he has surpassed $200 million for the second year in a row

According to the study, 'El Bicho' earned $215 million from his contract with and another $45 million in additional income from his work as a footballer. In total, his estimated fortune is around $1.8 billion, since he made his professional debut with in 2002.

In addition to , there is an interesting amount of sports celebrities who generate the most profits in the world, although there is actually a gap between the Portuguese and the rest

star ranks second in the list with estimated earnings of $153.8 million in 2024, of which $100 million comes exclusively from endorsements, more than double that generated by , while his salary was $53.8 million, a quarter of what the forward earns

Then in the top 10 are five footballers:,, , , the rest of the sports do not include more than two representatives. After the top 10, only seven footballers appear and only the Norwegian striker, appears in the top 25.

Another interesting fact is that only , at 33 years of age, is the only athlete under 36 years of age in the Top 10 of the list, the rest are at the end of their respective careers

The gender pay gap in sports

The list shows that, together, the salaries of the world's 100 highest-paid athletes amount to $6.2 billion, 14% more than in 2023, but sadly no woman appears in this list among the top 100 for the second consecutive year. was the highest-paid female athlete in 2024 with $30.4 million, less than New York Giants quarterback with $37.5 million

By sport, the highest-paid athletes are in soccer (12), baseball (11), golf (9), boxing (6), tennis (2) and Formula 1 (2) among the Top 100. By country, contributed 64 of the top 100, followed by the with just five athletes, followed by with three each.

The oldest athlete on the list is ($62.1 million) at 49 years old, eight years older than Aaron Rodgers ($47.2 million) and there are 11 athletes aged 25 or younger ranked. The youngest is Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz ($40.4 million), who is 21 years old.