The world's highest paid athletes in 2024: The one Aussie to make top 100 list as No.1 rakes in unprecedented, eye-watering salary
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Rory McIlroy, Cristiano Ronaldo and Tyson Fury were among the highest paid athletes in the world in 2024, according to a top 100 list compiled by Sportico and published in February 2025.
Just one Aussie and zero women were among the top 100, which takes into account both earnings on the playing field and endorsement deals that are the icing on the cake.
Athletes from just a small handful of sports dominated the list, and the so-called "sportswashing" that has become increasingly prevalent in Middle Eastern nations, particularly Saudi Arabia, is a theme that comes through consistently among the absolute elite of the elite.
Wide World of Sports has reproduced Sportico's top 30, adding the one Aussie who made the list for good measure. While Sportico published its list in USD, WWOS has converted to AUD as of the conversion values on February 14, 2025.
Scroll on for our 30-1 countdown of the world's most handsomely paid athletes.
85. Ben Simmons (NBA) - $65 million
Salary/winnings: $62 million
Endorsements: $3 million
Despite another difficult 12 months for the Aussie, who has dealt with debilitating back injuries for much of his stint in Brooklyn, he still was paid handsomely due to a massive five-year contract he signed back in 2020, when he was still considered to be on a trajectory to be among the best basketball players in the world.
30. Anthony Joshua (boxing) - $95 million
Salary/winnings: $79 million
Endorsements: $16 million
The British superstar may have lost a heavyweight world title fight in 2024 but he was still laughing all the way to the bank thanks mostly to a massive purse for his clash with Daniel Dubois.
29. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (MLB) - $97 million
Salary/winnings: $88 million
Endorsements: $9 million
At just 26, the Japanese pitcher for the LA Dodgers is one of the biggest names in baseball, although even he is outshone by a compatriot who is higher on this list.
28. Tiger Woods (golf) - $98 million
Salary/winnings: $16 million
Endorsements: $82 million
If this seems low for arguably the most recognisable athlete in the world, it is, until you look at the breakdown. Woods rarely swings a club these days due to the injuries he is carrying after a serious car crash, but he still wields enormous clout away from the course, making his endorsement deals eye-watering reading.
27. Kirk Cousins (NFL) - $103 million
Salary/winnings: $99 million
Endorsements: $4 million
The first of the NFL quarterbacks to appear on this list, 36-year-old Cousins has been a bankable commodity playing the most influential position in his sport for more than a decade, hence the massive salary. After years spent at Washington and then Minnesota, 2024 was Cousins' first season for his new club, Atlanta.
26. Damian Lillard (NBA) - $104 million
Salary/winnings: $76 million
Endorsements: $28 million
One of the top scorers in the NBA for more than a decade, Lillard continues to be a big earner at 34, as a key cog at the Milwaukee Bucks.
25. Justin Herbert (NFL) - $107 million
Salary/winnings: $90 million
Endorsements: $17 million
At just 26, Herbert is expected to be one of the faces of the NFL for the next decade, and has a contract to match after signing a big deal to be the LA Chargers' franchise quarterback.
24. Erling Haaland (football) - $111 million
Salary/winnings: $71 million
Endorsements: $40 million
Manchester City's Norwegian powerhouse is one of the top strikers in the world and has a bank account to match. While his salary is handsome enough, his off-field appeal plays a big role in the total package, with a mammoth Nike deal contributing a large portion of his earnings.
23. Joe Burrow (NFL) - $112 million
Salary/winnings: $104 million
Endorsements: $8 million
Yet another quarterback to cash in on his skills in the most important position on the field, 28-year-old Burrow earns the majority of his enormous pay packet in salary as the face of the Cincinnati Bengals franchise.
