Cristiano Ronaldo is still the top earning athlete worldwide. Last week the Al Nassr forward turned forty and used the opportunity to assert his claim to be the best footballer of all time. Ronaldo said in an interview on Spanish television channel La Sexta that he had “never seen anyone better than me” and that he was “the greatest scorer in history”.
Although Ronaldo’s self-confidence has never needed much of a boost, maybe earning $260 million in 2024 will help. Thanks in great part to his massive $215 million Al Nassr pay and additional $45 million in sponsorships, the Portugal star brought home.
Ronaldo has made more than $100 million for eight straight years, according to Sportico; 2024 marked his second straight year in the $200 million-plus range. Since his professional debut for Sporting Lisbon in 2002, his very rich move to the kingdom has pushed his career earnings to almost $1.8 billion.
Working with companies like Nike, Herbalife, Altice and Binance, Ronaldo also earns millions in sponsorship money; brands take advantage of his global social media following, which last year totaled over one billion led by 649m on Instagram.
