The most lucrative contracts in sporting history, as of 2024

Millions of fans around the world and millions of dollars in their bank accounts. Sporting superstars are not only celebrated for their extraordinary talents that captivate global audiences, but also for their colossal fortunes, born of mega-contracts unimaginable to the average person.

In the 2024 top-10 of the world’s most lucrative sports contracts, MLB players dominate alongside some of football's biggest stars, plus some notable cases from the world of golf, boxing and the NFL. However, there is one surprising absentee: basketball, particularly the NBA.

Over the course of this year, the top spot in this ranking has passed from one athlete to another, breaking record after record along the way. As 2024 draws to a close, these are the athletes who feature in this exclusive list.

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MLB has cemented its position as the leader in sports mega-contracts globally, epitomized by Dominican player Juan Soto. This December, he signed with the New York Mets, securing his place as the highest-paid athlete in history.

The deal between the New York franchise and Soto is worth $765 million over 15 seasons – a record-breaking figure that ensured his transfer ahead of the Yankees and Red Sox following the best season of his career, during which he hit 41 home runs. The contract also includes a $75 million signing bonus and a release clause in 2029.

Soto’s record eclipsed the previous high set by Japanese pitcher and hitter Shohei Ohtani in December 2023, when he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for $700 million over 10 seasons.

The Dodgers made no mistake with this signing. Ohtani, a favourite for MVP, made history as the first player to join the 50-50 club – hitting at least 50 home runs and stealing 50 bases in a season. He led his team to victory and generated approximately $120 million in advertising and sponsorship revenue, according to FOX analyst A.J. Pierzynski.

The top three most lucrative contracts of 2024 are rounded out by footballer Lionel Messi, the star attraction of Major League Soccer (MLS). Although his team, Inter Miami, exited in the first round of the playoffs, Messi won the MVP award and remains a major draw for the US league.

For the Argentinian, his most lucrative contract wasn’t his current deal with the Florida team, where co-owner Jorge Mas, as quoted by Forbes, estimates his earnings at between $50 million and $60 million annually. It was instead his contract with FC Barcelona, worth €674 million over four seasons.

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In fourth place is Messi’s arch-rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, who, as if his earnings in Manchester, Madrid and Turin weren’t enough, signed a mega-contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, securing a salary of $536.5 million over two and a half seasons.

Just days before Shohei Ohtani’s record-breaking deal, Spanish golfer Jon Rahm announced his move to the LIV Golf Tour, a Saudi-backed professional circuit, with a six-year contract worth $525 million.

The king of America’s favourite sport, NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes, is the undisputed star of the Kansas City Chiefs. He signed a major contract worth $503 million over 10 seasons.

Another footballer tempted by Saudi Arabian petrodollars was French striker Karim Benzema. He left Real Madrid for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, signing a lucrative deal that will see him earn a total of $436 million by June 2026.

The centre fielder for the Los Angeles Angels signed a substantial contract with the California-based MLB team worth $426.5 million over 12 seasons, running until 2030 and averaging around $35 million annually.

Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez, one of the most feared fighters in the ring, reached an agreement with streaming platform DAZN in 2018 to broadcast his fights between 2018 and 2023, earning $365 million ($73 million annually or $33 million per fight).

The top 10 highest contracts in sporting history are completed by another MLB player, Mookie Betts, a teammate of Ohtani at the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2021, Betts signed a 12-season contract extension worth just over $30 million per year, totalling $365 million – a sum similar to Canelo Álvarez's.

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