A foreign website has released a list of the top ten highest-earning players in 2024.

According to a report by the British newspaper “The Sun”, world-famous footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has once again been named the world’s highest-earning player, surpassing his long-time rival Lionel Messi in terms of income.

According to the report, Ronaldo topped the top ten highest-earning players in 2024. The 40-year-old Portuguese footballer earned about 192 million pounds (72 billion 28 crore Pakistani rupees) last year, which is almost double Lionel Messi’s total income of 99 million pounds (37 billion 53 crore Pakistani rupees).

Golf player John Rahm came in second on the list with an income of 161.32 million pounds, while Messi came in third.

Other big names in the top ten include basketball star LeBron James in fourth place (£94.87 million) and Stephen Curry in ninth place (£75.38 million).

Several big stars from the world of football are also on the list, including Kylian Mbappe in sixth place, Neymar in seventh place and Karim Benzema in eighth place.

Interestingly, according to the report, Lionel Messi’s income comes from sponsorships and brand deals off the field rather than on it, and he is one of only two players on the list whose income is higher than that from sources other than playing. Despite this, he remains well behind Ronaldo.

This is the second consecutive year that Ronaldo has been named the world’s highest-paid athlete. He previously topped the Forbes list in 2023. These rankings take into account players’ salaries, winnings, and advertising and brand deals.

Experts say the large number of footballers on the list reflects the global popularity of the game and the immense wealth of the Saudi Pro League in particular, where many big stars are currently playing. Both Ronaldo and Messi are still in excellent form and the upcoming World Cup could potentially be the last major global tournament of their careers.