Cristiano Ronaldo highest paid athlete with $415 million annual income but top 100 list has no women

Cristiano Ronaldo has again topped the list of the world’s highest-paid athletes with total income of $US260 million ($A415 million) in 2024, but there were no women in the top 100.

According to sports industry news site Sportico, the leading 100, dominated by players from soccer, the NBA, NFL, golf and boxing, earned an estimated $US6.2 billion ($A9.9 billion) in total income last year.

The figure includes $US4.8 billion ($A7.7 billion) in salary and prize money, plus $US1.4 billion ($A2.2 billion) in endorsements.

Former US Open tennis champion Coco Gauff was the top-earning female athlete last year at $US30.4 million ($A48.5 million), well short of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones who squeezed in at number 100 with a total income of $US37.5 million ($A59.8 million).

The only Australian athlete to make the list was NBA star Ben Simmons, who was in 85th position on $US41 million ($A65 million).

Ronaldo’s lucrative contract with Saudi Arabian soccer team Al-Nassr ensured he retained top spot for a second straight year after he moved to the Saudi Pro League in December 2022.

Sportico said the Portugal forward, who celebrated his 40th birthday last week, earned $US215 million ($A343 million) in wages while he also made $US45 million ($A72 million) in endorsements.

Ronaldo is so far ahead of the other athletes in the world that Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, second on the list, earned $US153.8 million ($A245.3 million) in comparison -- more than $US100 million ($A160 million) short of the five-times Ballon d’Or winner.

British boxer Tyson Fury, who lost to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in a heavyweight clash in December, is third on the list at $US147 million ($A234 million).

The top five are rounded out by Inter Miami’s Argentina captain Lionel Messi ($US135 million) ($A215 million) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James ($US133.2 million) ($A212.5 million).

The top 100 is made up of athletes from eight sports and hailing from 27 countries.

While American Gauff, who is only 20, could climb up the list in the years to come, there have been other women athletes who would have cracked the list in the past.

Business magazine Forbes said Japan’s four-times grand slam tennis champion Naomi Osaka was the world’s highest-paid female athlete in 2022 after she pulled in $US57.3 million ($A91.4 million) in prize money and endorsements.

Retired tennis great Serena Williams, who won 23 singles majors, earned $US41.8 million ($A66.7 million) in 2021 according to Forbes. The American retired from the sport in 2022 at the US Open.