Forbes magazine revealed on Thursday its annual list of the highest-paid football players in the world, topped by Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, followed by his arch-rival Lionel Messi. 4 out of 10 players in the ranking were Saudi Professional League players.
Player income is calculated based on the size of their basic salaries and bonuses associated with participation, in addition to additional income from advertising, sales of memorabilia, personal belongings and other commercial activities, for the 2024-2025 season.
Three English Premier League players were on Forbes’ list this year, while the Spanish League got two places, and thanks to Messi, the American Football League got one place.
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According to the magazine, the Portuguese star, who tops the list for the sixth time in a decade, is expected to earn $220 million in wages this season, which includes financial incentives in addition to his wages as a player.
In all, he will earn $285 million, including about $65 million from “off-the-field” activities, a record level of income in football, exceeding the $260 million he made in 2023.
Of all the athletes Forbes has tracked since 1990, only boxer Floyd Mayweather has surpassed this number in a single year when he was active in his sport.
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|
The highest paid football players in the world for the 2024-2025 season |
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|
Player |
team |
the age |
The reward ($1 million) |
Additional income ($1 million) |
|
|
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Victory |
39 |
220 |
65 |
|
|
Lionel Messi |
Inter Miami |
37 |
60 |
75 |
|
|
Neymar da Silva |
Crescent |
32 |
80 |
30 |
|
|
Karim Benzema |
Union |
36 |
100 |
4 |
|
|
Kylian Mbappe |
real madrid |
25 |
70 |
20 |
|
|
Erling Haaland |
Manchester City |
24 |
46 |
14 |
|
|
Vinicius Junior |
real madrid |
24 |
40 |
15 |
|
|
Mohamed Salah |
Liverpool |
32 |
35 |
18 |
|
|
Sadio Mane |
Victory |
32 |
48 |
4 |
|
|
Kevin De Bruyne |
Manchester City |
33 |
35 |
4 |
|
The report said that while Saudi clubs spent nearly a billion dollars on transfers – an unprecedented level – a year ago, their spending fell to 524 million dollars during the summer of this year.
The Premier League’s spending on transfers also fell to $2.5 billion last summer, from a record level of $3 billion last year, and the German Bundesliga and French League also saw significant year-on-year declines.
The ten highest-paid soccer players in the world are expected to earn $983 million this season, a record for the list but a modest 2% increase on last year.
Source: Forbes
