⁠Top 10 Richest Players In The World Football

If you are curious to know who is the richest football player in the world in 2024? Then our list ⁠Top 10 richest players in the world of football will shock you.  

Football or soccer for fewer parts of the world has been grossing as one of the most popular sports in the world. As the fame of the sport has been increasing players are also benefiting from the sport, signing a contract worth millions. 

Ronaldo, Messi, and Kylian Mbappé are undoubtedly the best football players in the world. But who is the richest player in football? In this blog, we have curated a list of the top 10 wealthiest footballers including highest highest-paid players in the world.

List of top 10 richest players in the world

We SportsDunia ranked the top 10 richest players in world football based on their net worth, annual salary, and current status. The list only includes active football players who are the richest in the world.

Here is the list of active top 10 richest footballers in the world as of 2024.  

1. Faiq Bolkiah

Brunei Royal Family member and professional footballer Faiq Bolkiah is often cited as the world’s richest football player. The forward plays for the Ratchaburi in Thai League 1 and has an estimated net worth of $20 billion, mostly inherited from his family fortune. 

 26-year-old Bolkiah is also captain of the Brunei national team and plays for the Ratchaburi F.C. Speaking of his football earnings, Faiq Bolkiah receives a monthly salary of 100,000 baht, which is roughly equivalent to $2,900. 

There are also limited details available about Bolkiah’s brands and endorsement deals. Overall, Faiq Bolkiah’s net worth is dominated by his royal family’s affluent wealth and his minimal football salary plays a nonexistent role with no endorsement deals.   

2. Cristiano Ronaldo

The second world’s richest footballer is Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo has an estimated $800 to $950 million net worth. Ronaldo is known for his exceptional talent and dominating the football both on and off-field. Ronaldo is the best football player in the world in 2024 as he crossed 900 million followers all around the world.   

As per the 2024 Forbes list, Al Nassr talisman Cristiano Ronaldo’s annual earnings are an estimated $285 million, making him the highest-paid football player in the world. All thanks to his hefty deal with Saudi Arabia’s club Al Nassr which pays an annual salary of around €200 million, which bolstered Ronaldo’s net worth. 

However, it is only a part of Cristiano’s huge wealth, as most of his earnings estimated at $65 million come from brands and endorsement deals like Nike, CR7, Clear, Herbalife, etc. According to a report, Ronaldo signed a lifetime deal with Nike worth $1 Billion which explains his vast net worth.  

3. Lionel Messi

Next, we have Lionel Messi in our top 10 richest players in the world of football with an estimated $650 million net worth. The greatest footballer of all time Lionel Messi has amassed a vast net worth with his football career and endorsement deals. 

Messi is one of the players who has crossed the $1.3 Billion earning marks in his career including $900 million in career and $400 million from his brands and endorsement deals.

Argentine star Messi currently plays for Inter Miami with an annual earnings of $60 million including $12 million of base salary per year. Other than his professional football income, Messi has multi-million dollar deals with various brands like  Pepsi, Budweiser, and Socios, including Adidas’ lifetime $10 million deal. He has invested in various business ventures- hotels, and clothing. Messi also owns a $200 million company- Play Time Sports-Tech which invested in media, sports, and technology. All this makes       

4. Neymar

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior aka Neymar is one of the most renowned Brazilian footballers and prolific scorers in the world. Neymar has an estimated $250 million net worth which he earned from his club earnings and various brands/endorsement deals. Currently playing for Al-Hilal, Neymar is known for his exceptional talent, dribbling, and clinical finishing. 

As per the records, Neymar is in contract with Saudi football Club Al-Hilal with an estimated  $219 million annual salary. Neymar became one of the highest-paid athletes after accepting the offer of £138 million a year salary at Al Hilal.  

Other than his football income Neymar has also endorsed many big brands including Puma, Panasonic, Volkswagen, Claro, and Unilever, contributing significantly to his annual income. In 2020, the Brazilian top scorer ended a long-term contract with Nike and shook hands with Puma. All the club earnings and endorsement deals played a huge role in Neymar’s $250 million net worth.    

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5. Karim Benzema

French footballer Karim Benzema is next on our list of richest players in the world of football in 2024. Benzema is one of the most distinguished footballers who has amassed an estimated $200 million net worth from his professional career and endorsement deals. 

In 2023, Benzema transferred to Saudi Arabia club Al-Ittihad and agreed upon a $100 million annual salary with only $4 million coming from the brands and endorsements deals. Speaking of which, Benzema endorsed many prominent brands like Adidas, EA Sports, and Hyundai. Benzema’s financial success mostly reflects his on-field talent, maintaining his market value and securing his status as one of the world’s highest-paid athletes.    

6.  Kylian Mbappé

French footballer Kylian Mbappé is one of the best football players in the world which shows his mass estimated $180 million net worth. Mbappé accumulated his networth with his current salary, business ventures, and endorsement deals. 

In 2024, Mbappé moved to Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain accepting an annual salary of approximately €15 million net per season roughly €288,000 per week. Reportedly, the Mbappé deal also includes a huge signing bonus of  $150 million. His current salary plays a significant role in boosting the net worth of the French footballer. 

With increasing popularity, Kylian Mbappé has many lucrative brand deals including Nike, Hublot, Accor, Oakley, and Sorare. He is the cover star for FIFA 21 and FIFA 23 by EA Sports and increased his fame all over the world.    

7. Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba is a French footballer who has an estimated $125 Million net worth as of 2024. Currently, Pogba is a free agent who previously played for Manchester United until 2021 with an annual salary of $20 Million. He then returned to Juventus in 2022 with €10 million per year. However, his wages were cut short to  €2 thousand per month after failing a drug test. 

Before his downfall, Pogba endorsed Adidas and Pepsico-like brands. In 2016, he signed a 10-year contract with Adidas worth approximately £31 million, equating to about $3.1 million per year. 

8. Mohamed Salah

The Egyptian star footballer Mohamed Salah is one of the richest players in the world with an estimated $90 Million net worth. Mohamed Salah is Liverpool’s highest-paid player with a $35 million annual salary including base salary, bonuses, and incentives. 

Salah’s charismatic personality and exceptional talent gravitate to all sorts of brands and endorsement deals. Many notable brands like to welcome on the board including Adidas, Pepsi, Vodafone, Oppo, DHL, Uber, and ExxonMobil. 

All these brand deals further enhanced Mohamed Salah’s huge net worth and built his endorsement portfolio. His financial success also encourages him to give back to society and motivates him to do all sorts of charities and funds in Egypt and other parts of the world.  

9. James Rodríguez

Colombian star James Rodríguez is another richest player with an estimated $80 Million net worth in the world. The attacking midfielder James Rodríguez plays for the Rayo Vallecano club in the La Liga. He is also captain of the  Colombia national team.

Via many reports, for the 2024–2025 season, Rodríguez annual salary is £3.4 million, or around $5.6 million. According to Forbes, Rodríguez was once the highest-paid player with a $29 million annual income in 2015. 

Other than club and international salary, endorsement deals also have a significant role in James Rodríguez’s net worth. Throughout his career, Rodríguez endorsed many brands like Adidas, Pepsi, Gatorade, Huawei, and Hugo Boss. All these deals and club earnings helped him to build a vast net worth over the years.     

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10. Mario Balotelli

Last but not least, Mario Balotelli is sitting with approximately $80 Million net worth on the list of richest football players in the world 2024. Italian forward Mario Balotelli who joined Genoa as a free agent is speculated to earn a $3-$4 Million annual salary for the 2024-2025 season. 

Balotelli is known for his amazing skills and finishes which gave him a platform to play for many clubs. Throughout his career, Balotelli played for Inter Milan, Manchester City, AC Milan, Liverpool, and Nice, among others.

Other than his successful club career, Balotelli has endorsed many lucrative brands including sportswear brand PUMA. His earnings from on-field and off-field have boosted his net worth over the years.