Football stars - professional athletes earn millions not only thanks to their sporting achievements. Sponsorship and advertising contracts also bring outstanding athletes high-paying additional income. Only the chosen ones make it to the annual ranking of the richest football players according to Forbes magazine. We offer you an overview of the richest athletes.
The richest footballers in the world
The world-famous Forbes magazine traditionally publishes a list of the ten highest-paid football players in the world. In the current season 24/25, four of the ten most expensive players are from Saudi Arabia! The list includes not only salaries and bonuses for clubs, but also football players' income from advertising, sponsorship, photo rights and other deals. Income is indicated as gross profit. So, which football players are on Forbes?
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Salary at Al-Nassr: 220M $ + income outside the football field: 65M $.
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is once again rising to the top of the list of the highest-paid athletes in 2024, answering the question of who is the richest footballer in the world. Last year, the athlete already took first place. Then Forbes estimated his annual salary at 136 million $. This year, it is expected to be 260 million - an absolute record for a footballer. According to Forbes, the 39-year-old footballer, who plays as a striker for FC Al-Nassr, receives an annual salary of 220 million during the two and a half years of his contract. For comparison, at his previous club, Manchester United, Ronaldo earned about 60 million per year.
“For me, money is not the most important thing,” Cristiano Ronaldo said while still playing for Real Madrid in 2016. “For me, money is just a means to live comfortably and independently after my playing career ends.” Ronaldo, his children and countless generations to come will be more than comfortable after the Portuguese superstar signed the biggest contract in football history, joining Al-Nassr in 2022.
Ronaldo has been a target of interest for many companies as an advertising medium for many years. With over 630 million followers on Instagram, the footballer is one of the most popular people on Instagram. As the face of American sporting goods manufacturer Nike and thanks to numerous smaller advertising deals, contracts with Herbalife, Clear Haircare and Whoop, the Portuguese player earns an additional 65 million.
2. Lionel Messi
"Inter Miami": 60 + 75M $.
In 2024, Argentine professional footballer Lionel Messi, who is currently signed with American club Inter Miami, ranked second in the Forbes list of the highest-paid athletes. Messi's transfer from Paris Saint-Germain to the North American professional league MLS took place in July 2023. Inter Miami is currently ranked second in the Forbes ranking as the most valuable franchise in major league soccer, with an estimated value of $1.03 billion. This year, the club plans to increase its revenue from $118 million in 2023 to over $200 million.
Messi continues to be considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, and as such, he attracts numerous advertising and collaboration partners. Thanks to advertising deals with companies such as Pepsi, Adidas and Budweiser, he has been able to earn an additional 75 million $ off the football field.
3. Neymar
"Al Hilal": 80 + 30M $.
If anything that costs around €80m a year can be called a bargain, then Neymar's move to Al-Hilal is certainly one of them. The Brazilian playmaker played four games and scored one goal for the Saudis before suffering a cruciate ligament tear in October 2023. Every minute Neymar played for Al-Hilal in his debut season was worth more than €200,000. Despite his injury, Neymar has continued to be active in business outside the football field. Among other things, he collaborates with the fashion company Skims, founded by Kim Kardashian. In the summer of 2024, Neymar also launched new football boots with Puma.
4. Karim Benzema
"Al-Ittihad": 100 + 4M $.
The French footballer is currently ranked fourth in the world's highest-paid athletes. After winning the Ballon d'Or in 2022, Karim Benzema decided not to renew his contract and left Real Madrid as a free agent. The player has now moved to play for Al Ittihad in the Saudi Professional League.
The first signs of regret were evident in a degenerate video released by Al-Ittihad after Karim Benzema's first day at the club in 2023. The reigning Ballon d'Or winner sat in the back of the team bus, visibly uncomfortable as his new teammates chanted his name. The Frenchman was tipped to leave Saudi Arabia in January 2024, but he stayed. Public spats with coaches and teammates (who may not be quick to praise him) are offset by a salary of more than $1.8 million a week.
5. Kylian Mbappe
"Real Madrid": 90 + 20M $.
At 25, Frenchman Kylian Mbappe is probably the youngest player on this list. He has been under contract with Paris Saint-Germain since 2017. Last year, he moved to Spanish giants Real Madrid. When Kylian Mbappe was introduced to Real Madrid's new Galacticos in the summer, he brought with him a model of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium that he was given when he was six. There is a certain sentimentality behind Mbappe's move. After all, the Frenchman had to take a pay cut to leave Paris Saint-Germain and play for the club of his dreams.
According to Forbes, the French international has a transfer value of €90 million per year, and also earns around €20 million from advertising and sponsorship deals. This is the result of deals with Nike, Hublot and Oakley, among others. In 2022, Mbappe also founded his own film company.
6. Erling Holland
"Man City": 46 +14M $.
Notably, Erling Haaland cost Manchester City just £60m in transfer fees. Eight players, including Chelsea's Marc Cucurella, made big-money moves in the same 2022 transfer window. Man City were one of several clubs keen to take advantage of Haaland's release clause at Borussia Dortmund, but offered the most lucrative package, making him the highest-paid player in the Premier League.
7. Vinicius Junior
"Real Madrid": 40 + 15M $
Vinicius was still one of Real Madrid's lowest-paid players in 2022. That has changed with his new contract. The Brazilian is also one of the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or in 2024, which could further boost his off-field earnings.
8. Mohamed Salah
"Liverpool": 35 + 18M $
Mo Salah's status as Liverpool's highest-paid player of all time is backed by a healthy bank balance, further bolstered by a string of lucrative sponsorship deals. The smiling striker has been the face of the Blues brand for many years, and his popularity has only grown since joining Liverpool in 2017. "I've learned throughout my career that it's important to invest in yourself not just physically but also mentally if you want to be successful," Salah said, shortly after signing a contract with the Reds in 2023.
9. Sadio Mane
"Al Nassr": 48 + 4M $
With his eight-figure annual salary, Sadio Mane has shared his thoughts with the world about the cultural benefits of moving to Saudi Arabia. “When I had the chance, I spoke to my family. They were the happiest, of course, because it’s a Muslim country,” the former Bayern Munich player told Arab News. “My mother especially encouraged me to go there. She’s Muslim like me. She was the first to vote for me to come here. My whole family was happy, so it wasn’t difficult — it’s important for my faith.” And about the money, no words. Apparently, a footballer’s salary doesn’t really matter.
10. Kevin De Bruyne
"Man City": 35 + 4M $.
Pep Guardiola, who likes to use hyperbole, describes De Bruyne as “one of the greatest players at this club.” But the Belgian would not have been able to earn even more if he had not accepted offers from Saudi Arabia in the summer. “If I play there for two years, I can earn a lot of money,” De Bruyne admitted in June. “Before that, I had to play football for 15 years, so I would never have reached that amount.”
Conclusion
As you can see, the ranking of football players consists of those who have such obscenely astronomical income figures that sometimes it may seem that these guys are not just running around on the grass after a ball, but pumping oil. But, this is a big sport, and when it comes to football, four billion fans are least interested in the transfer amounts of their idols.
