3 days ago
9
Forbes report
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Cristiano Ronaldo remains the highest-paid football player on the planet. According to a list published by Forbes Magazine, the 40-year-old Portuguese national team player earns an astonishing $280 million (€239m) a year. A significant part of Ronaldo’s earnings comes from his club Al-Nassr. The Saudi Pro League club pays Ronaldo $230m (€196.5m) a season.
Ronaldo is one of three players from the Saudi Pro League in the top ten. The other two players are Karim Benzema (3rd) and Sadio Mané (8th). While Benzema earns just $4m (€3.4m) through his off-field activities, his $100m (€85m) salary at Al-Ittihad firmly places him in the top three. Ronaldo’s teammate and former Liverpool star Mané, in the meantime, earns $54m (€46m) a season, with $50m (€42.7m) coming from Al-Nassr.
The only league with more players in the top ten is Spain’s LaLiga, with four players. Three of them play for Real Madrid: Kylian Mbappé (fourth), Vinicius Junior (sixth), and Jude Bellingham (ninth). The three earn $95m (€81.2m), $60m (€51.2m) and $44m (€37.6m), respectively, through their combined salary and off-field activities. New on the list is Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, who earns an astonishing $43m (€36.7m) a season. Forbes estimates that Yamal earns $33m (€28.2m) from his club and $10m (€8.5m) through off-field activities. Those numbers contradict other reports in which Yamal was listed earning up to €16m plus €10m in bonuses that can reach up to €15m but are not guaranteed.
Top paid footballers in the world: Only two Premier League players – Messi 2nd
Only two players from the Premier League made the cut: Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah. Haaland ranks in fifth place with an overall income of $80m (€68.3m) a season. Forbes estimates that the Norwegian striker earns $60m (€51.3m) a season playing for Man City. Salah, who has just renewed his contract at Liverpool, ranks seventh with an estimated salary of $35m (€29.9m) and $20m (€17m) in off-field earnings.
Major League Soccer is also represented on the list by Lionel Messi. The Argentine ranks second on the Forbes list with an annual income of $130m (€118.8m). The magazine has listed his Inter Miami CF salary at $60m (€51.3m) with an additional income of $70m (€59.8m). Forbes’ estimation of Messi’s salary, however, heavily deviates from the salary released by the Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA). According to the MLSPA, Messi’s guaranteed income at Inter Miami CF is just $20.4m (€17.4m).
