According to recent figures (published by Forbes in 2024, and relating to 2023), the highest earning athlete in the world is a 39-year-old veteran footballer who is no longer playing in one of the elite leagues. Take a bow, Cristiano Ronaldo.
I was surprised to read that the modest maestro is out-earning younger superstars from the worlds of American football and basketball – not to mention golf’s current top players – but then this is clearly the ‘Saudi factor’ at play.
Ronaldo earned $200m on the pitch and a further $60m off it, giving him a 2023 income of $260m, or €253m. That’s about €4.8m every week!
He may not be playing in England, Germany, Spain or France, but his move to Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League had the lure of that astonishing $200 million annual salary.
Ronaldo has been delivered the goods too, with his usual prolific goal-scoring, lots of player of the match performances and an aura that continues to woo spectators/followers – and satisfy sponsors.
Spanish golfer Jon Rahm was placed second, with on-field earnings of $198m and off-field income of $20m. Rahm’s move to LIV Golf was obviously a big factor in his march up the rankings.
In another boost for the older sports star, Lionel Messi came in third, the 36-year-old soccer legend having earned $135m in 2023.
Perhaps surprisingly, there were only three Americans in the top ten: Basketball star LeBron James is fourth, on $128m, Stephen Curry (also basketball) ninth on $102m, and Lamar Jackson (American Football) tenth on a mere $98.5m.
The other placings are: 5: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece, basketball) $111m; 6: Kylian Mbappé (France, soccer) $110m; 7: Neymar (Brazil, soccer) $108m; 8: Karim Benzema (France, soccer) $106m.
There were no female athletes in the top ten. The highest earning female athlete in the world in 2023 was Polish tennis player Iga Świątek, on $23.9m. In 2024, fellow tennis player Coco Gauff moved ahead of Świątek, earning $30.4m.
A cold goodbye to Sean Dyche…
Sean Dyche’s heart was no longer in it, according to reports. The gruff, likeable Dyche was sacked as Everton manager last week, the club’s new owners – the Friedkin Group – moving quickly.
Having promised to act “through actions, not words” the new owners, who only took over in December, certainly haven’t hesitated in revealing a ruthless, decisive streak.
Dyche was unceremoniously relieved of his duties just three hours before Everton’s midweek FA Cup tie against Peterborough (which the Premier League side went on to win 2-0). There are reports that Dyche told his new bosses last week that he felt he had taken the club as far as he could. If that’s true, you’re in ‘Signing one’s own death warrant’ territory. That said, it’s almost certain that his fate was sealed before Christmas when the takeover was being finalised, i.e. a ‘New owners, new start, new manager’ mindset.
That’s business, but it was disheartening to read the wording of the Everton FC statement confirming Dyche’s exit, which bluntly stated that he “has been relieved of his duties as Senior Men’s First Team Manager with immediate effect”.
There was no further reference to Dyche in that club statement. No a single word. No thanks were expressed for his service in recent seasons, no good wishes issued to him for the future. It was cold, odd… virtually without precedent too.
Everton have now turned to former manager David Moyes, who was appointed on Saturday. Moyes had a very good spell at Everton from 2002-2013, and now returns just over a decade on, having managed Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Sunderland, and West Ham (twice) in the interim. Moyes is a good manager, but it remains to be seen if he can lift Everton (16th in the Premier League as I write on Tuesday, and one of six clubs never to have been relegated since its inception in 1992) and indeed meet the expectations of the new owners.
In other Premier League management news, Graham Potter is back in the game, having been appointed as the new manager of West Ham. Potter had a torrid time as Chelsea manager, having previously enjoyed a very positive period in charge of Brighton. He has a lot to offer, and it looks like a good appointment by the Hammers.
Mary steps in…
Best of luck to Mary Grehan, member of a very well-known Roscommon GAA family, who has been appointed manager of the Roscommon junior camogie team.
A former footballer and camogie player of note – who also has impressive coaching pedigree – Mary has been given a three-year term.
Humiliating Hansen…
Naturally, it wasn’t enough for rugby’s URC to impose a six-game ban (three weeks suspended) on Connacht’s Mack Hansen… of course they had to add a layer of humiliation too.
His ‘sin’ was to speak out about the standard of refereeing. Perhaps that outburst was out of line, but the punishment was nauseating, not least for the patronising (and public) nature of it.
Hansen was ordered to apologise to the referee and warned as to his future conduct. Then came the humiliation, disguised as being ‘helpful’.
I quote: “The player must undertake an appropriate course (related to match officiating)… with the learnings to be disseminated with his team-mates at Connacht Rugby” and “Connacht Rugby must run an education session with their players about how to conduct themselves in post-match media sessions and interactions with the media”.
I totally agree with Gary Doyle (Irish Mirror) who wrote: “It sounded like the kind of note a headmaster would send home with a naughty child. Except this was not directed at a five-year-old. Instead it was towards a rugby club and its best player, the extremely personable and talented Mack Hansen.
“Only in rugby would you hear this kind of guff. Words and phrases like learnings and sticking to the process are patronising jargon, stolen out of a cheap coaching manual”.
It really was obnoxiously patronising. Beware the egotistical ‘suits’ in sport. Is it any wonder that the late Brian Clough so despised football directors! I am reminded (a little) of the disdain for the ‘men in suits’ who had such control over players that was so memorably exhibited by eccentric English footballer Len Shackleton (a star from the 1940s onwards).
In his autobiography, Len included a chapter famously titled ‘The Average Director’s Knowledge of Football’ – that chapter title was followed by a single blank page!
Ken’s quip…
The following exchange drew some laughter from the audience during the Masters Snooker last weekend:
Dennis Taylor (on commentary): “Oh… there’s a fly on a red ball”.
Co-commentator, Ken Doherty: “Dennis, did you open your wallet again?”
Murray staying with Connacht
County Roscommon native Niall Murray has signed a new two-year contract with Connacht Rugby. Niall, from Brideswell in South Roscommon, has agreed a two-year extension that will keep him at Dexcom Stadium until at least 2027.
Murray came through the ranks at Buccaneers RFC and the Connacht Academy, before making his debut in the Champions Cup tie against Gloucester in December 2019. He was named in the URC Dream Team for the 2022/23 season, reflecting his brilliant performances at the time. He has played 26 times for the province so far.
GAA appoints new ‘Head of Hurling’
The GAA has announced that William Maher has been appointed as the new National Head of Hurling. From Tipperary, Maher is a native of the Ballingarry club and has the unique distinction of being captain of his county when they won the All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship in 1996, before later managing the Tipperary minors to secure the same title in 2012. He has been involved as a coach and team manager at club and county levels in Tipperary, Waterford, Dublin, Laois and Kilkenny.
Uachtarán CLG Jarlath Burns said: “I am delighted that a person of the calibre and experience of William Maher is to be our new National Head of Hurling. This is a crucially important post that will be at the heart of our strategy to protect the game where it thrives and promote it where it needs to be nurtured and developed. Hurling is our national sport, acknowledged internationally by UNESCO.
“We are committed to ensuring that William and the HDC have the ability to make a significant impact and to give as many people as possible the opportunity to play and enjoy this national treasure”.
