Football is a highly popular sport across the globe, and it is also a highly lucrative industry that pays its players a substantial amount of money every week.
Footballers earn millions of dollars through various channels such as wages, transfer fees, sponsorships, endorsement deals, personal businesses, investments, and gifts from fans. If you’re curious to know who the wealthiest Footballers in the world are, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll rank the top 10 richest Footballers for you.
Top 10 Richest Footballers in the World
- Faik Bolkiah
- Lionel Messi
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Neymar
- Kylian Mbappe
- Paul Pogba
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic
- Mohammed Salah
- Antoine Griezemann
- Kevin De Bruyne
Richest Footballers in the World
Football is one of the most lucrative sports globally, with elite clubs paying staggering salaries to their players. Here are the top 10 Richest Footballers in the World, ranked according to research from multiple online sources.
Faik Bolkiah – $20 Billion
Faik Bolkiah, born on May 9th, 1998, is the richest footballer in the world as of 2024, with a net worth of $20 billion. He was born into a wealthy family and is a member of the Brunei Royal Family. Faik is the son of Prince Jefri Bolkiah and the nephew of Hassanal Bolkiah, who is currently the Sultan of Brunei.
Despite his privileged background, the 25-year-old footballer currently plays as a winger in the Thai Premier League for Ratchaburi.
Lionel Messi – $600 million
Lionel Messi is ranked second on our list, with a net worth of $600 million. He was born in Argentina on June 24th, 1987, and currently plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain while also captaining the Argentina national team. Messi’s success as a footballer has earned him over $1 billion from endorsement deals, real estate, and sports throughout his career, making him the world’s second-highest-paid athlete.
Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time, having won a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, six European Golden Shoes, and being named the world’s best player for a record eight times by FIFA.
A prolific goal scorer, Messi also holds the records for most goals in La Liga, most hat-tricks in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, and most assists in La Liga and the Copa América.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Portuguese footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo is the captain of the Portugal national team and plays as a forward for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on February 5th, 1985, on the Portuguese island of Madeira. He is reported to have a net worth of $500 million.
In a year, he earns between $100-150 million from salary and endorsements. He has won five Ballon d’Or awards, which is the highest number won by any European player.
Ronaldo is the all-time leading goal scorer in international football, having scored the highest number of goals. Ronaldo is widely considered to be one of the greatest football players of all time, and he is often compared to fellow soccer legend Lionel Messi.
Neymar
Neymar Jr. is a famous Brazilian football player who was born in Mogi das Cruzes on February 5, 1992. He has played for teams like Santos, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain, and currently plays for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
Neymar is one of the highest-paid footballers in the world, earning a whopping £173 million per year in his current club, Al Hilal. This is a significant increase compared to his previous wage of under £32 million per year at Paris Saint-Germain.
Apart from his club income, Neymar also makes a lot of money through endorsements and sponsorships from brands like Puma and Red Bull. In 2017, he signed a new 5-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain that made him the highest-paid footballer at that time. His base salary from the club was $78 million.
Moving to Saudi Arabia has further increased Neymar’s net worth, making him one of the wealthiest athletes in the world.
Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappé is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world and one of the most exciting young players of his generation. Kylian Mbappe’s net worth is estimated to be between $120 million and $180 million.
Mbappe currently earns nearly £1.2 million per week, with his base salary equating to around £62 million net per year. He has received lucrative offers from Real Madrid and Al Hilal and has sponsorship deals with major brands such as Nike, Oakley, FIFA, Hubert, and Dior.
Mbappé has won 4 Ligue 1 titles, 3 Coupe de France titles, and 2 Coupe de la Ligue titles with PSG. He has also won the Golden Boot award in Ligue 1 in 2018–19 and 2021–22.
Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba is a professional football player from France who has a net worth of $125 million. He was born on 15 March 1993 in Lagny-sur-Marne, France to Guinean parents.
Pogba plays as a midfielder for Juventus in Serie A and also represents the France national team. He earns a salary of €10.26 million per season playing for Juventus, which translates to a weekly salary of €197,308.
Today, he is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the sport.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a legendary football player hailing from Sweden who has marked his dominance in the world of football for several decades. As of 2024, his net worth is estimated to be around $190 million.
He has played for some of the top football clubs in the world like Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United. During his extensive career, he has won more than 30 trophies and holds the record for being Sweden’s highest goal scorer in international matches.
Thanks to his exceptional skills, he has earned millions in salaries, transfer fees, sponsorships, and endorsements from his various clubs and brands.
Mohammed Salah
Mohamed Salah is a professional football player from Egypt who is worth $90 million. He has earned this fortune from his salary at Liverpool and numerous off-field endorsement and sponsorship deals, with Adidas being the most notable.
Salah plays as a forward for Liverpool in the Premier League and the Egypt national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world.
Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann, the talented French professional soccer player, has become one of the most sought-after athletes in the world. After moving from Barcelona to Atletico Madrid, his net worth has increased, making him one of the highest-paid footballers in 2024.
As of February 2024, Antoine Griezmann’s net worth is estimated to be $60 million.
Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne is a professional footballer from Belgium. He currently plays as a midfielder for Manchester City, a Premier League club, and the Belgium national team. De Bruyne is considered to be one of the finest players in the world, and his net worth is estimated to be around $70 million.
He earns a salary of 23 million euros per year from his contract with Manchester City, which is quite impressive.
Conclusion
These top 10 richest footballers have not only succeeded on the field but also built careers outside of it, redefining success in professional football through their skills, creativity, and strategic partnerships.
