- Faiq Bolkiah $20 billion
- Lionel Messi $600 million
- Cristiano Ronaldo $500 million
- Neymar Jr $200 million
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic $190 million
- Gareth Bale $150 million
- Alexandre Pato $145 million
- Paul Pogba $125 million
- Andres Iniesta $123 million
- Mesut Ozil $120 million
- Kylian Mbappe $110 million
- Mohamed Salah $100 million
- Eden Hazard $100 million
- Antoine Griezmann $90 million
- Robert Lewandowski $85 million
- Sergio Aguero $80 million
- Gerard Piqué $80 million
- Sergio Ramos $80 million
- Mario Balotelli $80 million
- David De Gea $75 million
Football (soccer) is one of the greatest sports in the world. It is one that unites people of different races and nationalities. The game brings overwhelming joy to fans and huge fortune to the players through basic salaries, endorsements, and so on. As a result, world-class footballers are regarded as A-list celebrities. It must be noted that the richest footballers are not necessarily the highest-paid. Here is our list of the wealthiest in the game today.
The Richest Footballers in the World
1. Faiq Bolkiah
- Net Worth: £20 billion
- Salary/Contract: $1,000 per week
- Date of Birth: 9 May 1998
- Age: 25 years old
- Club: Maritimo B
- Playing Position: Midfield
- Clubs Played For: A.F.C Newbury, Chelsea, Leicester City
- Active Since: 2008
Faiq is the richest footballer in the world. He is a member of the Brunei Royal Family, one of the richest families and kingdoms in the world. Faiq is the son of Crown Prince Jefri Bolkiah, son of King Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei.
The young man’s passion for football inspired him to become a professional football star. Faiq has played in Europe for the youth teams of A.F.C Newbury, Chelsea, Southampton, and Arsenal. His first professional contract was with Leicester in 2014 and played with them till he joined Portuguese club Maritimo B on a free transfer on 23rd September 2020. He is also a member of the Brunei national football team, serving as its captain.
2. Lionel Messi
- Net Worth: $600 million
- Salary/Contract: $41 million annually
- Date of Birth: 24 June 1987
- Age: 36 years old
- Club: Paris Saint-Germain
- Playing Position: Forward
- Clubs Played For: Barcelona Football Club
- Active Since: 1992
- International Caps: 151 (Argentina)
- Trophies: 7 Ballon d’Ors, UEFA club forward of the year, La Liga best player, European golden shoe, Copa America golden ball, FIFA world player of the year, etc.
Lionel Messi is a well-decorated international footballer and is the second richest footballer in the world. Messi, who is captain of the Argentine national team, earns an excess of $40 million a year. His bottom line further increases with royalty payments and endorsements with companies like Gatorade, Adidas, Huawei, Lay’s, Mastercard, Hawkers Gatorade Pepsi, Turkish Airlines, Gillette, and Ooredoo.
The ace footballer started playing football when he was 5 years old with Grandoli in 1992. He also played for Newell’s Old Boys from 1995 to 2000. Later in 2000, Messi signed with the Barcelona FC youth team and played till 2003 when he was promoted to the senior team. He spent most of his football career with Barcelona FC before moving to the French team Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo
- Net Worth: $500 million
- Salary/Contract: $663,000 per week
- Date of Birth: 5 February 1985
- Age: 39 years old
- Club: Manchester United
- Playing Position: Forward
- Clubs Played For: Juventus, Real Madrid, Sporting Lisbon
- Active Since: 1992
- International Caps: 192 (Portugal)
- Trophies Won: 5 Ballon d’Ors, UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, UEFA Club Forward of the Year, IFA and FIFA PRO World Player of the Year, European Golden Shoe, Portuguese Player of the Year, etc.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese international footballer that has played and won trophies for several European clubs (Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus) and the Portuguese national team. He is the first footballer and the third sportsman to earn $1 billion in his career after signing a lifetime deal with Sportswear giant Nike. He makes money majorly from his contracts, businesses, and endorsement deals with companies like Electronic Arts, Altice, DAZN, Herbalife, MTG, and Egyptian Steel.
In 1992, Cristiano started his career as a youth in Andorinha. He also played for Nacional FC in 1991. In 1997, he was signed to the Sporting CP youth team and was accepted into the senior team in 2002. In 2003, he signed to Manchester United. In 2009, he moved to Real Madrid and played there until 2018. He later signed with Juventus and played from 2018 to 2021 before rejoining Manchester United.
4. Neymar Jr.
- Net Worth: $200 million
- Salary/Contract: $1.5 million weekly
- Date of Birth: 5 February 1992
- Age: 32 years old
- Club: Paris Saint-Germain
- Playing Position: Forward
- Clubs Played For: Santos, Barcelona
- Active Since: 1999
- International Caps: 115 (Brazil)
- Trophies Won: Copa do Brazil, La Liga best player of the year, UEFA champions league winner, FIFA club world cup, World soccer young player of the year, FIFA Puskas award, FIFA FIFPro world 11, etc.
Neymar is a Brazilian footballer currently playing for the French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. He is one of the highest-paid footballers earning up to $95 million per year. In addition to his salary, Neymar earns from endorsement deals with Volkswagen, Santander, Lupo, Air Jordan, Nike, Red Bull, Unilever, Ambev, ClaroPanasonic, Tenys Pé Baruel, Beats Electronics, and Mastercard. He is young, prolific, and rich.
Neymar kicked off his career in 1993 when he played for the youth team of Portuguesa Santistatill. He later played for Santos FC before moving to Barcelona in 2013. Neymar played till 2017 then signed with France giants Paris Saint-Germain where he plays to date. He also plays for the Brazilian National team.
5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
- Net Worth: $195 million
- Salary/Contract: £114,000 weekly
- Date of Birth: 3rd October 1981
- Age: 42 years old
- Club: AC Milan
- Playing Position: Striker
- Clubs Played For: Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, etc
- Active Since: 1989
- International Caps: 118 (Sweden)
- Trophies Won: Ligue 1 foreign player of the year, AC Milan hall of fame, PSG hall of fame, Ligue 1 goal of the year, Seria A footballer of the year, etc.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a Swedish international footballer who has played for clubs like Manchester United, LA Galaxy, Barcelona, AC Milan, etc. In his career, he has won over 30 trophies and earned millions in wages. The very skillful player makes over $10 million from his endorsement deals with Nike, Volvo, Mercurial Athlete.
In 2016, Zlatan founded A-Z Sportswear. He launched Ibrahimovic Parfums in association with Olivier Pescheux, one of the leading perfume sellers in the world. Zlatan also has his android game by the name of Zlatan Legends.
Zlatan began his professional career in his native country with Malmo FF. He then signed with Dutch club Ajax and made an immediate impact, becoming one of the most sought-after youngsters in Europe. Italian giants Juventus soon signed him and he went there to exhibit his profound football talent. In the summer of 2009, he moved to FC Barcelona in a transfer that made him one of the highest-paid footballers at the time. While Zlatan returned to Italy the following season, he has since then played for a wide range of teams that paid him handsomely to do so.
6. Gareth Bale
- Net Worth: $160 million
- Salary/Contract: $690,000 weekly
- Date of Birth: 16 July 1989
- Age: 34 years old
- Club: Real Madrid
- Playing Position: Winger
- Clubs Played For: Southampton, Tottenham
- Active Since: 1999
- International Caps: 90 (Wales)
- Trophies Won: Welsh footballer of the year award, UEFA Champions League winner, UEFA team of the year, Tottenham player of the year award, etc.
Gareth Bale is a professional Welsh footballer who plays for the Spanish club Real Madrid and the Wales national team. He joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for a world record fee of £85.3 million. Bale’s contract with Real Madrid pays him £15 million annually. He makes over $15 million through his endorsement deals with Adidas, Nissan Motors, Konami, BT Sport, Lucozade, and Foot Locker. He also owns a company called Primesure Limited.
In 1999, Bale started his career as a youth in Southampton and played till 2007 when he moved to Tottenham Hotspur. In 2013, he joined Real Madrid and played there for 7 years before returning to Tottenham in 2020 on loan.
7. Alexandre Pato
- Net Worth: $145 million
- Salary/Contract: $200,000
- Date of Birth: 2nd September 1989
- Age: 34 years old
- Club: Orlando City
- Playing Position: Forward
- Clubs Played For: Chelsea, AC Milan
- Active Since: 2000
- International Caps: 27 (Brazil)
- Trophies Won: Serie A Young Footballer of the Year, Golden Boy award, 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, Silver and Bronze Olympic medals, etc.
Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva, commonly known as Alexandre Pato, is a Brazilian international footballer who started his career in 2000 at age 16 with Internacional. In 2007, he moved to AC Milan, and later on Corinthians in 2013. He tested waters in several clubs like Sao Paulo, Chelsea, Villarreal before joining Orlando City. He once played for the Brazilian national team.
Pato made a total of $46 million between October 2020 and October 2021, making him one of the highest-paid footballers in the world. He owes the rest of his wealth to his personal investments. Alexandre owns a chain of burger restaurants (Fat Pato Burger), his brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderpato, Brazil), a perfume line for children (With Love from Alexander), a fashion line, and a stake in the real estate industry.
8. Paul Pogba
- Net Worth: $125 million
- Salary/Contract: £290,000 per week
- Age: 31 years old
- Club: Manchester United
- Playing Position: Midfield
- Clubs Played For: Juventus, Manchester United
- Active Since: 1999
- International Caps: 89 (France)
- Trophies Won: FIFA world cup winner, FIFA world cup best young player, Golden boy award, UEFA team of the year, etc
Paul Labile Pogba is a French international footballer who was once the most expensive player in the world. The player earns a heavy salary and has an endorsement deal with Adidas that pays him handsomely. In 0ctober 2021, Pogba and British fashion mogul Stella McCartney launched the Adidas-backed vegan Adidas Predator Freak – the world’s first-ever 100% vegan boot.
In 1999, Paul Pogba signed to the youth team of Manchester United. In 2011, he was promoted to the senior team but he left the following year to play for Juventus. In 2016, Man Utd paid a world-record fee of £105 million to resign the midfielder.
9. Andres Iniesta
- Net Worth: $123 million
- Salary/Contract: $600,000 weekly
- Age: 39 years old
- Club: Vissel Kobe
- Playing Position: Midfield
- Clubs Played For: Barcelona
- Active Since: 1994
- International Caps: 131 (Spain)
- Trophies Won: La Ligas titles, UEFA Champions League titles, FIFA World Cup, FIFA FIFPro World XI, IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker, All-time UEFA Euro XI, etc.
Andres Iniesta is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for the Japanese club, Vissel Kobe. Iniesta is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in the history of football and also one of the richest footballers. He earns a weekly wage of $600,000 at Vissel Kobe and has lucrative endorsement deals. Iniesta had a 20-year long deal with Nike worth millions of US dollars. He also signed deals with Nissan, UFX.com, and Japanese sportswear brand Asics. He owns his own winery and is a part-owner of Spanish club Albacete.
Iniesta began his career at the youth academy at Albacete in 1994 before moving to Barcelona in 1996. He was with Barcelona B till 2002 when he was promoted to the senior team. He played for the club for over sixteen years before leaving for Japan to join club Vissel Kobe in 2018 where he intends to retire.
10. Mesut Özil
- Net Worth: $120 million
- Salary/Contract: £350,000 weekly
- Age: 35 years old
- Club: Fenerbahce
- Playing Position: Attacking Midfielder
- Clubs Played For: Arsenal, Real Madrid
- Active Since: 1995
- International Caps: 92 (Germany)
- Trophies Won: German player of the year, FIFA World Cup, La Liga, FA Cup, etc.
Mesut Ozil is a German international football star regarded as one of the most technically gifted footballers ever. For his services, he commands a huge salary. He also makes millions from endorsement deals with companies like Adidas, Beats Electronics, Emirates, Kinder, Mercedes, and Nike.
Ozil started his career in 1995 as a youth in Westfalia 04 Gelsenkirchen. He went on to play for Teutonia Schalke-Nord and Rot-Weiss Essen before joining Schalke 04. During his illustrious career, he would go on to play for Real Madrid, Werder Bremen, Arsenal, and the German national team.
11. Kylian Mbappe
- Net Worth: $110 million
- Salary/Contract: €2 million monthly
- Age: 54 Years Old
- Club: Paris Saint-Germain
- Playing Position: Forward
- Clubs Played For: Bondy, Monaco
- Active Since: 2004
- International Caps: 20 (France)
- Trophies Won: Golden Boy award, FIFA World Cup, French player of the year, UEFA men’s player of the year, UEFA team of the year, IFFHS men team of the year, etc.
Kylian Mbappé is a young French international sensation that has won the hearts of football fans worldwide. In 2018, he signed for PSG and was earning an annual salary of €20 million. He earns further from endorsement deals with Hublot, EA Sports, and Nike.
Mbappé started his football career in 2004 when he signed with Bondy. He played with the club till 2013 when he signed a contract with Monaco’s youth team. In 2015, he was promoted to the senior team where he played until he joined Paris Saint-Germain.
12. Mohamed Salah
- Net Worth: $100 million
- Salary/Contract: £400k per week
- Age: 31 Years Old
- Club: Liverpool
- Playing Position: Forward
- Clubs Played For: Chelsea, Roma
- Active Since: 2004
- International Caps: 45 (Egypt)
- Trophies Won: Swiss super league player of the year, Globe Arab best player of the year, UAFA golden boy, CAF most promising talent of the year, CAF team of the year, etc.
Mohamed Salah is an Egyptian international footballer who plays in the Premier League for Liverpool. He reportedly earns £18 million in wages per annum and another $14 million from endorsement deals with companies like Adidas, Uber, Vodafone, and Falken Tires.
Salah started his football career as a youth in 2004 when he signed with Ittihad Basyoun. In 2005, he signed with Othmason Tanta and later Al Mokawloon in 2006. He played his way to the senior team of the club in 2010. In 2014, Salah moved to Switzerland to sign with Basel. He would go on to play for Chelsea, Fiorentina, and Roma before joining Liverpool in 2017.
13. Eden Hazard
- Net Worth: $100 million
- Salary/Contract: £532k per week
- Age: 33 Years Old
- Club: Real Madrid
- Playing Position: Winger, Attacking Midfielder
- Clubs Played For: Chelsea, Lille
- Active Since: 1995
- International Caps: 110 (Belgium)
- Trophies Won: Belgian Sportsman of the year, Premier League titles, La Liga, Ligue 1, Premier League Player of the Season, etc.
Eden Hazard is a Belgian professional footballer who has made an indelible mark with his outstanding dribbling ability. His talent ensured that he became one of the highest-paid players in the world when he signed with Real Madrid. Hazard further has lucrative endorsement deals, most notably with Nike and China’s Sina Sports.
Hazard began his pro career at Lille B in France before playing for Lille where his performances earned him a big-money move to England to play for Chelsea. He kept up his performances with the side and so gained the attention of Real Madrid who broke the bank for his services.
14. Antoine Griezmann
- Net Worth: $90 million
- Salary/Contract: £351,000 per week
- Age: 33 Years Old
- Club: Atletico Madrid
- Playing Position: Forward
- Clubs Played For: Barcelona
- Active Since: 1997
- International Caps: 100 (France)
- Trophies Won: FIFA World Cup, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, La Liga Best Player, etc.
Antoine Griezmann is a French international football star and one of the richest around. In 2019, he signed a lucrative contract with Barcelona and further makes over $10 million through his numerous endorsement deals with Puma, Heads and Shoulder Shampoo, Gillette, EA Sports, Yu-Gi-Oh, Beats Electronic, Konami, Hauwei, and HYT.
Griezmann started his football career in 1997 with the youth team of Entente Charnay et Macon and played till 1999 when he signed with club side Macon. He played there till 2009 when he signed a contract with Real Sociedad. He would go on to play for Spanish giants Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
15. Robert Lewandowski
- Net Worth: $85 million
- Salary/Contract: £17 million annually
- Age: 35 years old
- Club: FC Bayern Munich
- Playing Position: Striker
- Clubs Played For: Delta Warsaw, Borussia Dortmund
- Active Since: 1996
- International Caps: 120 (Poland)
- Trophies Won: UEFA Champions League, Best FIFA Men’s Player Award, UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Award, Polish Sports personality of the year, Bayern Munich player of the year, etc.
Robert Lewandowski is a prolific Polish international footballer known for his goalscoring ability. The star striker is paid £17 million annually and also earns from his endorsement deals with brands such as Nike, Huawei, Opel, EA Sports, and sports drink Oshee. With his wealth, the footballer has done a lot of philanthropic work that is worthy of respect.
Lewandowski started his youth career in 1996 when he signed with Partyzant Leszno. In 1997, he signed for MKS Varsovia Warsaw before joining Delta Warsaw. He wold go on to play for Legia Warsaw II, Znicz Pruzkow and Lech Poznan. He currently plays for German giants Bayern Munich.
16. Sergio Agüero
- Net Worth: $80 million
- Salary/Contract: £12 million annually
- Age: 35 years old
- Club: Barcelona
- Playing Position: Striker
- Clubs Played For: Manchester City, Atletico Madrid
- Active Since: 1997
- International Caps: 100 (Argentina)
- Trophies Won: Don Balon award, Premier league golden boot, UEFA Europa League, Copa America, etc
Sergio Agüero is an Argentine international footballer and icon who earns loads of money for his talent. In addition to what he takes home from the salary he earns, Agüero makes money from his endorsement deals with multinational brands such as Nike, Pepsi, Electronic Art, and Gillette. He is also a business owner with a bar in Manchester.
In 1997, Sergio Agüero started his football career as a youth in Loma Alegre. In 2003, he signed with the senior team of Independiente and played till 2006 when he joined Atletico Madrid. In 2011, Sergio signed with Manchester City and spent 10 years with the team. In 2021, he signed with Barcelona where he plays to date.
17. Gerard Piqué
- Net Worth: $80 million
- Salary/Contract: £165,000 per week
- Age: 37 Years Old
- Club: Barcelona
- Playing Position: Defender
- Clubs Played For: Manchester United, Real Zaragoza
- Active Since: 1997
- International Caps: 102 (Argentina)
- Trophies Won: FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, La Liga, UEFA team of the year, etc
Gerard Piqué is a Spanish international footballer playing as a defender for Barcelona. He is one of the highest-paid footballers in the world and this has enabled him to amass a huge net worth. Pique penned a four-and-half-year contract with Barcelona FC in January 2018 with a buyout clause of €500 million. He also has lucrative endorsement deals with Nike and Laureus Foundations.
Apart from his salary, Pique is heavily interested in business. He is the founder and president of Kosmos Global Holding. He launched a social networking video game designing startup Kerad Games in 2011. He co-founded an eSports company in 2016 and launched an international league partnering with Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) maker Konami. Piqué also launched the iMessage App – Daybook – with a Chicago-based entrepreneur. He is a footballer and a businessman of excellence.
Piqué started his football career in Barcelona; he played till 2004 when he joined Manchester United. He would later return to Barcelona in 2008 where he has had a lengthy and well-decorated career.
18. Sergio Ramos
- Net Worth: $80 million
- Salary/Contract: €524,423 per week
- Age: 38 Years Old
- Club: Paris Saint-Germain
- Playing Position: Centre-Back
- Clubs Played For: Real Madrid, Sevilla FC
- Active Since: 2002
- International Caps: 180 (Spain)
- Trophies Won: FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, La Liga titles, etc
Spanish footballer Sergio Ramos is considered by many as one of the best defenders around. He plays for the French club Paris Saint-Germain and the Spain national team. Being one of the highest goalscoring defenders among many other feats, the talented player has made an indelible mark in the Spain national team where he has played for over a decade.
Now with PSG, the Centre-Back hopes to add more feathers to his cap as well be of great significance to the French side, as he has always been at the other teams. Sergio has signed endorsement deals with notable brands like Hugo Boss, Pepsi, and a few others.
19. Mario Balotelli
- Net Worth: $80 million
- Salary/Contract: €113,077 per week
- Age: 33 Years Old
- Club: Adana Demirspor
- Playing Position: Centre-Forward
- Clubs Played For: Manchester City, AC Milan, Liverpool, Nice, Marseille, Monza
- Active Since: 2000
- International Caps: Over 30 (Italy)
- Trophies Won: UEFA Euro team of the tournament, Seria A team of the year, Golden Boy award, FIFPro world 11 4th team, UNFP Ligue 1 player of the month
Italian football sensation Mario Balotelli is not left out on our list of richest footballers in the world. Balotelli is one player who has tested waters in very many clubs and still maintains his enviable financial status. Starting off his professional career in 2005 with Lumezzanne, the center-forward made remarkable strides in football, including winning the treble (Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Champions League) in 2010.
Balotelli who is nicknamed “Super Mario” after the Italian video game character Mario, has maintained a high salary despite various controversies he has been involved in. Football, however, remains his major source of income.
20. David De Gea
- Net Worth: $75 million
- Salary/Contract: £ 375,000 per week
- Age: 33 years old
- Club: Manchester United
- Playing Position: Goalkeeper
- Clubs Played For: Atletico Madrid
- Active Since: 2003
- International Caps: 45 (Spain)
- Trophies Won: UEFA Europa League, Premier League, FA Cup, Premier League Golden Glove, etc.
David De Gea is the only goalkeeper to make it on the list of the richest footballers in the world. He plays for the English club Manchester United and for the Spanish national team. His performances have earned him lucrative contracts over the years and he makes a lot more money from endorsements with top brands like Adidas, EA Sports, and PepsiCo. It can be recalled that during his 100th Premier League match in 2019, Adidas released a pair of gloves in his honor.
David started out with Atletico Madrid in his early career and made a lot of strides with the team, including winning the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup in 2010. His next stint was at Manchester where he has gotten a lot of attention in the past years.