In the realm of sports, football continues to reign supreme. The popularity and associated wealth that the sport offers are unmatched. And who are the highest earners? Let’s take a look at the top 20 richest football players in the world as of 2023 and delve into their net worth, career achievements, and big paycheck salaries.
Listed below are the top 20 wealthiest players in football in 2023 in ascending order of their net worth:
How Do They Make Their Money?
You may have asked yourself, how do these players amass such fortunes? The simplest answer is through their bloated salaries from both their club contracts and national teams. Besides, these athletes rake in millions from brand endorsements, image rights, and other business ventures.
Who is the Richest Football Player in world?
Explore the list below which is focused on 10 richest footballers around the world:
1. Faiq Bolkiah
Faiq Bolkiah net worth: $20 Billion
|
Full name |
Faiq Jefri Bolkiah |
|
Date of birth |
9 May 1998 |
|
Age |
24 years old (as of 2023 |
|
Place of birth |
Los Angeles, California, United States |
|
Current team |
Chonburi |
|
Position |
Midfielder |
Faiq Bolkiah is the richest football players in the world with his net worth estimated $20 Billion in 2023. A member of the Bruneian Royal Family, he also served as the captain of the Brunei national team.
Currently, he plays as a midfielder for Thai club Chonburi. He was born on 9 May 1998 in Los Angeles, California, United States.
Also Read – Football Clubs: Top 10 Popular Football Clubs in the world
2. Mathieu Flamini
Mathieu Flamini net worth: $14 billion
|
Full name |
Mathieu Pierre Flamini |
|
Date of birth |
7 March 1984 |
|
Age |
38 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
Marseille, France |
|
Cars |
Ferrari 458 Italia |
Which soccer player is a billionaire? Mathieu Flamini is a billionaire with a net worth of $14 billion. He is a former Marseille, Arsenal and AC Milan midfielder who retired in 2016. After leaving football, he fully committed to GF Biochemicals, a sustainable biochemical company he co-founded in 2008.
3. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi net worth: $600 million
|
Full name |
Lionel Andrés Messi |
|
Date of birth |
24 June 1987 |
|
Age |
35 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
Rosario, Argentina |
|
Current team |
Paris Saint-Germain F.C |
|
Position |
Forward |
|
Cars |
Mansions and luxury homes in Holland Park, London, Cotswolds, England, Miami and Dubai |
|
Houses |
Mansions on Camp Nou and Castelldefels and Barcelona |
He was the fifth-highest paid celebrity in 2019 and the world’s third-richest footballer with $104 million in pre-tax earnings.
Currently, he has a contract with Barcelona that runs until 2020-21, and he receives an annual salary of approximately $80 million. For the rest of his life, he’ll be sponsored by Adidas. One of the world’s most wealthy footballers, Lionel Messi has an estimated net worth of $600 million.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo Net Worth: $500 Million
|
Full name |
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro |
|
Date of birth |
5 February 1985 |
|
Age |
38 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça, Funchal, Portugal |
|
Current team |
Al-Nassr FC |
|
Position |
Forward |
|
Cars |
Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Range Rover |
|
Houses |
Penthouse in New City and a home in Madrid, Spain |
CR7’s net worth is $500 million in the year 2023. Before taxes and fees, he made $105 million in 2020, placing him at No 4 on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list. He is today the 3rd richest footballer in the world.
CR7 is well-known as a wealthy businessman in addition to his football profits. This man is a hotelier. In addition, he has a long-term deal with Nike as an endorsement. At $650 million, Cristiano Ronaldo is the wealthiest player in the world.
He is earning salary and bonuses totaling $70 million. Ronaldo returned to United, where he won three Premier League championships and one Champions League during his previous tenure there from 2003 to 2009.
In addition, he earns money through promoting other products under the CR7 brand, including perfume, underwear, eyeglasses, hotels, and gyms, as well as via his own sponsorships and agreements with these and other companies.
5. David Beckham
David Beckham net worth: 450 million dollars
|
Full name |
David Robert Joseph Beckham |
|
Place of birth |
2 May 1975 |
|
Age |
47 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Date of birth |
Whipps Cross University Hospital, London, United Kingdom |
|
Cars |
Land Rover Defender, Bentley, Audi RS6, Range Rover Sport, Cadillac, 1994 Volkswagen Golf, Porsche |
|
Houses |
David Beckham is a former football player from England who stands at rank four among the richest footballers of the world. He has an estimated net worth of 450 million dollars. Currently, Beckham is the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City.
Beckham started his professional career at the age of 17 when he was signed with Manchester United. Over his career spanning for around two decades, he made many records and became a global ambassador of football.Beckham has consistently ranked among the highest earners in football, and was also listed as the highest-paid player in the world in 2013.
Other than football, he is also a fashion icon and his many endorsement deals make him one of the most recognizable athletes throughout the world.He is also a philanthropist and has been a UNICEF UK ambassador since 2005.
6. Dave Whelan
David Whelan net worth: 210 million dollars
|
Full name |
David Whelan |
|
Date of birth |
24 November 1936 |
|
Age |
86 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
Bradford, United Kingdom |
David Whelan is among the best footballers of all time and thanks to his astonishing career and successful business ventures, he is still counted among the richest footballers in the world, even at the age of 85 years. Whelan was a player for the Blackburn Rovers and Crewe Alexandra football club and also owned the Wigan Athletic club.
It is estimated that the current net worth of Whelan stands close to 210 million dollars which makes him one of the wealthiest soccer players.Whelan has been awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Wigan by the Wigan Borough Council.
7. Neymar Jr.
Neymar da Silva Santos Junior net worth: $200 million
|
Full name |
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior |
|
Date birth |
5 February 1992 |
|
Age |
31 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
Mogi das Cruzes, State of São Paulo, Brazil |
|
Current team |
Paris Saint-Germain F.C. |
|
Position |
Forward |
|
Cars |
Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin, Audi R8, Porsche, Lamborghini, Range Rover, Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita, Lamborghini Veneno |
|
Houses |
Mansion in Bougival, Paris, a mansion in Sao Paolo, Brazil |
The fourth-richest footballer in the world, Neymar da Silva Santos Junior. He’s worth $200 million, according to his wiki page. Neymar Jr., the Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain star, has been voted the world’s seventh-highest-paid celebrity. His net income for 2019 was $95.5 million before taxes.
Paris Saint-Germain has signed Neymar until June 2022 to a five-year contract worth $350 million. At the age of 17, Neymar made his debut for Santos. He helped the team win two consecutive championships, a Copa does Brasil and Santos’ first Copa Libertadores since 1963.
During his time alongside Lionel Messi, he helped Barcelona win the La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League trebles, as well as finishing third in the FIFA Ballon d’Or for his efforts. A domestic double was achieved in the 2015–16 season for him.
8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic net worth: $190 million
|
Full name |
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior |
|
Place of birth |
5 February 1992 |
|
Age |
31 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Date of birth |
Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil |
|
Current team |
Forward |
|
Position |
AC Milan |
|
Cars |
4 Ferarris, Porsche, Lamborghini Urus |
|
Houses |
Mansions on Lake Como, Italy and Cheshire, England |
According to Forbes, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a fortune of $190 million, which places him as the seventh richest football player in the world. With a six-month contract of €3.5 million, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is now playing for AC Milan in Serie A.
After a great playing career with elite leagues like AC Milan and Barcelona, he went on to play for clubs like Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus. Adidas and Nike have also used him as an endorser. One of the wealthiest players in the world, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a net worth of $190 million.
Ibrahimovi rose to prominence with Ajax as one of Europe’s most talented attackers before joining Juventus two years later.
In one of the most expensive signings in transfer history, he joined Barcelona in the summer of 2009 to play for AC Milan. In the 2010–11 season, he won his second Serie A title with Inter Milan, and he joined Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2012.
9. Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney net worth: $170 million
|
Full name |
Wayne Mark Rooney |
|
Date of birth |
24 October 1985 |
|
Age |
37 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
Croxteth, Liverpool, United Kingdom |
|
Cars |
Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, Lamborghini Gallardo, Aston Martin Vanquish S |
|
Houses |
Cheshire mansion |
Footballer Wayne Rooney is the 9th wealthiest footballer player on the planet. He’s worth $170 million, which is a lot of money. For the past 11 years, Rooney has been one of the top 10 highest-paid football players in the world.
Samsung, Coca-Cola, EA Sports, and Nike are just a few of the companies he has partnered with. $160 million is the estimated net worth of Wayne Rooney.
When he moved to Manchester United in the summer of 2004, he became the only English player to win the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League, as well as the UEFA Europa League and FIFA Club World Cup.
10. Ronaldo
Ronaldo LuísNazário de Lima net worth: 160 million dollars
|
Full name |
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima |
|
Date birth |
18 September 1976 |
|
Age |
46 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place birth |
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
|
Cars |
Mercedes, Audi, Ferrari, Range Rover, Lamborghini |
|
Houses |
Penthouse in Sao Paolo and a mansion in Rio de Janeiro |
Ronaldo LuísNazário de Lima, known commonly as Ronaldo, is a former footballer and businessman from Brazilconsidered as one of the greatest players of all time.In his dazzling football career, he made many records and salon amassed a great deal of fortune.
At just the age of 21 years, this Brazilian legend was the most-expensive player and the youngest recipient of Ballon d’Or award, which he still remains to this date. In his name, he holds many records including the greatest living players. Due to multiple injuries, he has to retire from the game.
The estimated net worth of Ronaldo is somewhere around 160 million dollars making him one of the richest football players. Ronaldo is also a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador since 2000.
11. Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe net worth: $150 million
|
Full name |
Kylian Mbappé Lottin |
|
Date of birth |
20 December 1998 |
|
Age |
24 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
19th arrondissement of Paris, Paris, France |
|
Current team |
Paris Saint-Germain |
|
Position |
Forward |
|
Cars |
Ferrari 488 Pista, Volkswagen Multi Van and Mercedes-Benz V Class |
|
Houses |
Bondy, Paris |
Kylian Mbappe signed a contract with Paris Saint-Germain for an annual salary of $63 million. His monthly salary is $1.15 million. In 2017, he paid £8.5 million for the property he had lived in one of Paris’ most affluent neighbourhoods for the past four years. Kylian Mbappe’s net worth is $150 million.
12. Alexandre Pato
Alexandre Pato net worth: $145 million
|
Full name |
Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva |
|
Date birth |
2 September 1989 |
|
Age |
33 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
Pato Branco, State of Paraná, Brazil |
|
Current team |
Orlando City SC |
|
Position |
Forward |
|
Cars |
Mercedes-Maybach Exelero, Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio, Bentley Flying Spur, Porsche Panamera Turbo S |
How is Pato so rich? A report by the DailyMail revealed that he grew his wealth through investments with CoverGirl Cosmetics endorsements, real estate, a chain of restaurants, a vodka line, a fashion line and more. His current net worth is $145 million.
13. Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale net worth: $145 million
|
Full name |
Gareth Frank Bale |
|
Date of birth |
16 July 1989 |
|
Age |
33 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
Cardiff, Wales |
|
Current team |
Los Angeles FC |
|
Position |
Winger |
|
Cars |
Audi Q7 50 TDI, Bentley Continental GT, and Mercedes SLS AMG |
|
Houses |
La Finca mansion |
Gareth Bale earns a $33 million annual salary and a net worth of $145 million. Apart from his football career, Gareth also makes money from endorsements. He owns a £4 million mansion with six bedrooms, a dressing room, a study, and a three-hole custom golf course in the garden.
14. Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba net worth: $125 million
|
Full name |
Paul Labile Pogba |
|
Date of birth |
15 March 1993 |
|
Age |
29 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
Lagny-sur-Marne, France |
|
Current team |
Juventus F.C. |
|
Position |
Midfielder |
|
Cars |
Ferrari 812 |
|
Houses |
Mansion in Cheshire |
Pogba is one of the most prominent figures in the football arena. He has an estimated net worth of $125 million, earning an annual salary of $33 million. In 2020, Paul Pogba bought a luxurious condo in Miami on the 61st floor of the One Thousand Museum.
15. Andres Iniesta
Andres Iniesta net worth: $120 million
|
Full name |
Andrés Iniesta Luján |
|
Place of birth |
11 May 1984 |
|
Age |
38 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Date of birth |
Fuentealbilla, Spain |
|
Current team |
Vissel Kobe |
|
Position |
Midfielder |
|
Cars |
Bugatti Veyron, Audi A7 and Nissan Pulsar |
|
Houses |
Mansion in Fuentealbilla, Spain |
Andrés Iniesta Luján is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time. He signed a three-year contract with Japan’s Vissel Kobe for $33 million per year for three years. Andrés spent £4.6 million to build his Fuentealbilla 5-bedroom mansion in 2005. His current net worth is $120 million.
16. Mesut Ozil
Mesut Ozil net worth: $120 million
|
Full name |
Mesut Özil |
|
Date of birth |
15 October 1988 |
|
Age |
34 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
Gelsenkirchen, West Germany |
|
Current team |
İstanbul Başakşehir |
|
Position |
Attacking midfielder |
|
Cars |
Ferrari 458, Porsche Panamera Turbo |
|
Houses |
Mansion in London |
Mesut Ozil purchased a six-bedroom mansion in North London for £10 million. In July 2022, he signed a one-year contract with İstanbul Başakşehir F.K. with an option of an additional year. Ozil is regarded as one of the most creative and intelligent players in the world of football, with a net worth of $120 million.
17. Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard net worth: $100 million
|
Full name |
Eden Michael Walter Hazard |
|
Date of birth |
7 January 1991 |
|
Age |
32 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
La Louvière, Belgium |
|
Current team |
Real Madrid |
|
Position |
Forward |
|
Cars |
Mercedes-Benz AMG GTR, Audi R8 V10, BMW X6, Range-Rover Sport |
|
Houses |
Mansion in Spanish |
Eden Hazard lives in his six-bedroom mansion in Madrid that costed him £11 million. In 2022, he announced his retirement from the national team at the age of 31. His current net worth is estimated to be $100 million, with an annual salary of $15 million.
18. Samuel Eto
Samuel Eto net worth: $95 million
|
Full name |
Samuel Eto’o Fils |
|
Date of birth |
10 March 1981 |
|
Age |
41 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
Douala, Cameroon |
|
President |
Cameroonian Football Federation |
|
Position |
Forward |
|
Cars |
Ferrari 458 Italia Mansory Siracusa, Maybach 57S Xenatec Coupe |
|
Houses |
Villa in Italy |
Samuel Eto has an estimated net worth of $95 million with an annual salary of $26 million. He purchased Lord Carnarvon’s Italian villa, Villa Altachiara, for £20 million. He retired in 2019, having firmly established himself as one of the greatest African strikers of all time, alongside George Weah and Didier Drogba.
19. Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos net worth: $80 million
|
Full name |
Sergio Ramos García |
|
Date of birth |
30 March 1986 |
|
Age |
36 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
Camas, Spain |
|
Current team |
Paris Saint-Germain |
|
Position |
Defender |
|
Cars |
Porsche 911 Turbo S, Mercedes-AMG G63, Audi RS6 Quattro |
|
Houses |
Mansion La Moraleja |
La Moraleja lives in a £12 million mansion in La Moraleja which he bought in 2017. In July 2021, he signed a two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain. He receives an annual salary of $25 million, and his net worth is alleged to be $80 million.
20. Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero net worth: $80 million
|
Full name |
Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo |
|
Date of birth |
2 June 1988 |
|
Age |
34 years old (as of 2023) |
|
Place of birth |
Buenos Aires, Argentina |
|
Cars |
Ferrari GTC4 Lusso and a Lamborghini Aventador |
|
House |
Waterfront mansion in Hollywood |
Sergio Aguero is one of the richest players earning a salary of $23.5 million. He paid $15 million for a waterfront mansion at 900 South Northlake Drive in Hollywood and signed a £12 million contract with FC Barcelona. His net worth is estimated to be $80 million.
Ronaldo and Messi: Who is the richest?
Ronaldo and Messi are two of the world’s best footballers. When their net worths are compared, Ronaldo comes out on top with a net worth of $500 million, while Lionel Messi comes in second with a net worth of $400 million.
Football club contracts evidently cannot produce the richest footballer in the world. However, athletes who have supplemented their income in other fields can amass significant wealth.
Who are the top 20 richest footballers?
Below is a table of the richest footballers with their net worths.
|
Rank |
Name |
Net worth |
|
1 |
Faiq Bolkiah |
$20 billion |
|
2 |
Mathieu Flamini |
$14 billion |
|
3 |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
$500 million |
|
4 |
David Beckham |
$450 million |
|
5 |
Lionel Messi |
$400 million |
|
6 |
Dave Whelan |
$210 million |
|
7 |
Neymar Jr |
$200 million |
|
8 |
Zlatan Ibrahimović |
$190 million |
|
9 |
Wayne Rooney |
$170 million |
|
10 |
Ronaldo Luís |
$160 million |
|
11 |
Kylian Mbappe |
$150 million |
|
12 |
Alexandre Pato |
$145 million |
|
13 |
Gareth Bale |
$145 million |
|
14 |
Paul Pogba |
$125 million |
|
15 |
Andres Iniesta |
$120 million |
|
16 |
Mesut Ozil |
$120 million |
|
17 |
Eden Hazard |
$100 million |
|
18 |
Samuel Eto |
$95 million |
|
19 |
Sergio Ramos |
$80 million |
|
20 |
Sergio Aguero |
$80 million |
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