Sports athletes are admired all around the world for their personal attributes. The biggest sports stars have updated their social media accounts with tons of news about their spending habits in 2024. You can count on sports athletes to set the benchmark for performing at their peaks throughout the season to inspire their fans.
Celebrities in sports with huge revenues are getting a number of endorsements to boost their visibility. These personalities have taken over the globe and have achieved amazing accomplishments across various fields of life.
From footballers to basketball stars, sports athletes have popped up on people’s radar in 2024 to astonish sports fanatics with their lavish lifestyles. Take a look at the most admired sports athletes this year.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is one of the highest-paid sports athletes. The Argentinian footballer has amassed his wealth from playing for international football clubs like Barcelona and Inter Miami. He wears the number 10 jersey for most of his football matches. Lionel Messi makes over $100 million per year.
He has more than 503 million followers on Instagram. The global celebrity started playing football early in his life, joining his local club, Grandoli, at the age of 4. Lionel Messi is currently the captain of the Argentina national team and the football club Inter Miami.
FIFA recognized his talents on the football court, naming him as the world’s best player for a record 8 times. He was awarded the European Golden Shoe a total of 6 times and won the Ballon d’Or award multiple times in his career.
He spent over a decade playing for the football club Barcelona, leading his team to win 4 UEFA Champions League titles and 10 La Liga titles. Lionel Messi is the highest goal scorer in La Liga, scoring 474 goals. He was the first player in football history to earn over €40 million. The football forward player has also surpassed $1 billion in total earnings.
Lionel Messi was included in the TIME 100 in 2011, 2012, and 2023 for being a globally influential person. He was featured in a documentary titled Messi that premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2014. He is married to his long-term partner, Antonella Roccuzzo, and has 3 children.
LeBron James
LeBron James is an American basketball player. At a towering height of 6 feet and 9 inches, LeBron James is a celebrated sports athlete in the NBA. He plays the forward position for the NBA team Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron James has appeared in a total of 10 NBA Finals and won the NBA championship title 4 times.
The 39-year-old sports athlete has won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award 4 times for his outstanding performances in the NBA. LeBron James was drafted into the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. His hometown club, Cleveland Cavaliers, helped LeBron James win the Rookie of the Year award after signing with them.
From 2011-2013, LeBron James pushed ahead with his team, Cleveland Cavaliers, to win 2 back-to-back NBA championships. He has played more than 1400 basketball matches. Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the major basketball clubs that LeBron James has played for.
He has appeared in several motion pictures and TV series, including Entourage, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and House Party. Kia, Coca-Cola, Intel, McDonald’s, and Nike are a few of the international brands that LeBron James has represented in the past. He is the first active player in the NBA to become a billionaire.
LeBron is married to his high school sweetheart, Savannah James. He has appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine, along with the Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen.
Jon Rahm
Jon Rahm is a Spanish golfer with an estimated wealth of $218 million. The professional golfer has made it to the number one spot on the World Amateur Golf Ranking and the Official World Golf Ranking. He has won the Masters Tournament and joined the LIV Golf Tour.
His skills earned him a golf scholarship to Arizona State University, finishing his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. Jon Rahm was the first golf player to win the Ben Hogan Award twice, in 2015 and 2016. He set an all-time world record for remaining on top of the World Amateur Golf Ranking for a total of 60 weeks.
The Spanish sports athlete made his debut at the Quicken Loans National. Jon Rahm won his first title at the Farmers Insurance Open in 2017. Since his initial title win, Jon Rahm has played in global sports tournaments like The Players Championship, PGA Championship, and World Golf Championship.
In 2021, Callaway Golf Company signed Jon Rahm for a multi-year agreement that included professional golfing equipment and clothing. He won his first major golf tournament at the U.S. Open later that year. As the PGA Player of the Year, Jon Rahm went on to receive the Vardon Trophy and Byron Nelson Award.
In 2023, he won the Masters Tournament by beating fellow golfers Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson. Jon Rahm is married to Kelley Cahill and has 2 children. He currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his family. He is one of the most admired sports athletes in the world right now.
