The highest-paid football players in the world today

Football (or “soccer”, as some insist on calling it) is hands down the most popular sport in world, with an estimated 3.5 billion fans across the globe. To put that into perspective, cricket – the only other sport that comes close – is said to have 2.5 billion fans.

The salaries of the world’s top players reflect this popularity, and have hit eye-watering heights in recent years, with no signs of slowing down any time soon.

It can be a challenge to account for the various ways in which players can earn money these days – including salaries, bonuses, endorsements and sponsorships – but we’ve given it a go, and compiled a list of the highest-earning professional footballers in the world today:

• Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr) – Cristiano Ronaldo is now over 20 years into his professional career, is a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, and recently became the first man to score in five World Cups. In the summer of 2021, he became the highest-paid player in the history of England’s Premier League when he signed a two-year deal with his Manchester United, but the relationship ended in acrimony just before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Stating that he had “won everything in Europe”, Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, and now ranks at the top of the list of highest-paid football players in the world, earning a staggering $200 million a year.

• Kylian Mbappe (Paris St. Germain) – Kylian Mbappe previously held the top spot for highest paid footballer in the world having signed his contract with PSG, worth $128 million per year – despite having previously expressed his wish to play for Spanish giants Real Madrid. The deal allegedly gives him control over coaching appointments and player recruitment, and makes him the second highest-earning player on the planet.

• Lionel Messi (Paris Saint Germain) – According to Forbes, Messi was the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2020, earning a total of $126 million including his salary as a player for FC Barcelona, as well as endorsements and sponsorships.  The Argentinean superstar became a free agent after opting to leave Barcelona in the summer of 2021, and joined PSG not long afterwards. The French league leaders offered the Argentina captain a staggering annual salary of $41 million net, with off-field earnings bringing his annual tally closer to $120 million. The two-year contract includes the option to expand it to a third, although recent developments have made that unlikely, as fans have called the superstar’s commitment into question following his World Cup win with Argentina in December.

• Neymar Jr. (Paris Saint Germain) – Neymar is one of the world’s most expensive soccer players, having been transferred from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for a record-breaking fee of €222 million in 2017, and signed a contract extension with PSG in the summer of 2021. The Brazilian star has committed to the Parisian outfit until mid-2025 – and is set to receive $36.5 million per year for his time. Add $32 million or so in off-field earnings, and his overall salary is close to the $70 million mark. Unfortunately for PSG’s Qatari owners, this colossal investment has not yet landed them the much-coveted Champions League title; the club crashed out of the competition at the Round of 16 stage this season.

• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – The Egyptian captain and superstar signed a new three-year deal with Liverpool in July 2022 worth $53 million a year, making him the highest paid player in the club’s history. No one would begrudge him the pay rise, after a staggering 176 goals in 290 games – and counting – at the club. Salah is more important to Liverpool than ever after a disappointing 2022/23 season, as the club looks set to miss out on Champions League qualification for next season.

• Erling Braut Haaland (Manchester City) – Haaland moved to Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund at the start of the season, signing a huge deal worth $39 million per year and following in the footsteps of his father Alf Inge Haaland, who played for City in the early 2000s. The forward has since exceeded already-high expectations by scoring 35 goals in a single Premier League season – a new Premier League record for the game’s next global superstar, with another three games still to play and a potential treble up for grabs.

And that’s the state of play as we reach the final stages of the 2022/23 season. It’s worth noting that these figures are all in USD, are subject to change over time and may not include all sources of income for each player.