Top 10 Richest footballers in the world 2024: Football is known to be a high earning game. Most football stars make a lot when it comes to trading their talents in the game of soccer. One fascinating fact about the richest footballers in the world is that it does not necessarily mean the highest-earning footballer is the richest footballer in the world. Take a look at the top 10 richest footballers and their net worth.
Top 10 Richest Footballers in the world 2024
Cristiano Ronaldo Net worth $ 650 million
Christiano Ronaldo net worth as of 2024 is now $650 million. He earned $105 million before taxes and fees in the past year, landing him at No. 4 on the 2020 Forbes Celebrity 100.
CR7 is known to be a very successful businessman aside from his earnings from soccer. He owns a hotel chain. He also has a lot of endorsement deals with companies, It includes a lifetime contract with Nike Inc. Christiano Ronaldo is the richest footballer in the world with a net worth of $650 million. Read Mathieu Flamini Net Worth
Ronaldo is set to earn $125 million before taxes in the 2021-22 season, with $70 million coming from salary and bonus for his return to United, where between 2003 and 2009 he delivered three consecutive Premier League titles and a Champions League crown. The rest comes from personal endorsements and partnerships with brands including Nike, Herbalife, Clear and his ever-expanding CR7-branded portfolio that includes perfume, underwear, eyewear, hotels, gyms and more.
Ronaldo began his football career playing for Sporting CP, before signing with Manchester United in 2003, aged 18, winning the FA Cup in his first season.
He would also go onto win three consecutive Premier League titles, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup; at age 23, he won his first Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldo was the subject of the then-most expensive association football transfer when he signed for Real Madrid in 2009 in a transfer worth €94 million (£80 million), where he won 15 trophies, including two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey and four Champions Leagues, and became the club’s all-time top goalscorer.
He also finished runner-up for the Ballon d’Or three times, behind Lionel Messi (his perceived career rival), and won back-to-back Ballons d’Or in 2013 and 2014, and again in 2016 and 2017.
In 2018, he signed for Juventus in a transfer worth an initial €100 million (£88 million), the most expensive transfer for an Italian club and the most expensive transfer for a player over 30 years old.
He won two Serie A titles, two Supercoppe Italiana and a Coppa Italia, before returning to Manchester United in 2021.
Lionel Messi Net worth $600 million
Lionel Messi is the second richest footballer in the world with a net worth of $600 million
Messi earned $104 million before tax in 2019 making him the fifth highest-earning celebrity in the world and the 3rd richest footballer in the world.
His current Barcelona contract is through 2020-21 and pays him over $80 million annually. He also has a lifelong deal with Adidas.
A contract leak in January 2021 showed Messi was making much more at FC Barcelona than previously thought; the deal expired in June 2021.
The leaked contract showed Messi was able to earn up to $165 million annually in salary and incentives, an unmatched figure in team sports.
Messi launched his own clothing line and opened his first retail outlet, the Messi Store, in 2019 in Barcelona. He also has a lifelong deal with Adidas.
Among his properties is a customized private jet with the inscription of the names of members of his family. Lionel Messi net worth is $600 million making him one of he richest footballers in the world
Messi relocated to Spain to join Barcelona at age 13, for whom he made his competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004.
He established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years, and in his first uninterrupted season in 2008–09 he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football; that year, aged 22, Messi won his first Ballon d’Or.
Three successful seasons followed, with Messi winning four consecutive Ballons d’Or, making him the first player to win the award four times and in a row. During the 2011–12 season, he set the La Liga and European records for most goals scored in a single season, while establishing himself as Barcelona’s all-time top scorer.
The following two seasons, Messi finished second for the Ballon d’Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo (his perceived career rival), before regaining his best form during the 2014–15 campaign, becoming the all-time top scorer in La Liga and leading Barcelona to a historic second treble, after which he was awarded a fifth Ballon d’Or in 2015.
Messi assumed captaincy of Barcelona in 2018, and in 2019 he won a record sixth Ballon d’Or.
Lionel Messi is second on our list of top 10 richest footballers in the world with a net worth of $600 million.
Zlatan Ibrahimović Net worth $190 million
Zlatan is the 3rd richest footballer in the world with a net worth of $190 million
Zlatan Ibrahimović currently plays for Serie A side AC Milan in a contract that will see him earn €3.5m in six months.
The Swedish had a successful career with top leagues including; AC Milan, Barcelona, Manchester United, PSG, Juventus among others. He has also had endorsement deals with Adidas and Nike. Zlatan Ibrahimović net worth is $190 million making him one of the richest footballers in the world.
Ibrahimović began his career at Malmö FF in 1999, and signed for Ajax two years later. At Ajax, Ibrahimović gained a reputation as one of the most promising forwards in Europe, and departed two years later to sign for Juventus.
He excelled in Serie A in a strike partnership with David Trezeguet, before joining domestic rivals Inter Milan in 2006, where he won the Capocannoniere (Serie A top scorer) in 2008–09 and won three consecutive Serie A titles.
In the summer of 2009, he moved to Barcelona in one of the world’s most expensive transfers, before returning to Italy the following season, joining AC Milan. With them, he won another Serie A title in the 2010–11 season, before joining Paris Saint-Germain in July 2012.
During his four-season stay in France, Ibrahimović won a number of trophies including four consecutive Ligue 1 titles, and was the top scorer in Ligue 1 for three seasons. In October 2015, he became PSG’s all time leading goalscorer at the time.
In 2016, he joined Manchester United on a free transfer and won the FA Community Shield, Football League Cup and UEFA Europa League in his first season. Ibrahimović joined American club LA Galaxy in 2018. Two years later, he rejoined AC Milan.
Richest Footballers in the world
Neymar Jr. Net worth -$185 million
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior is the 4th richest footballer in the world. He has a net worth of $185 million.
Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil star Neymar Jr was named the seventh highest-earning celebrity in the world. He made $95.5 million before tax in 2019.
Neymar is on a five-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain through June 2022 worth $350 million in salary.
Nike’s Jordan Brand signed Neymar as its first soccer ambassador in 2016. In March 2020 its film unit released a movie about his life. Neymar is among the richest footballers in the world with a net worth of $185 million.
Neymar came into prominence at Santos, where he made his professional debut aged 17. He helped the club win two successive Campeonato Paulista championships, a Copa do Brasil, and the 2011 Copa Libertadores; the latter being Santos’ first since 1963. Neymar was twice named the South American Footballer of the Year, in 2011 and 2012, and soon relocated to Europe to join Barcelona.
As part of Barcelona’s attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, he won the continental treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League, and finished third for the FIFA Ballon d’Or in 2015 for his performances. He then attained a domestic double in the 2015–16 season.
In 2017, Neymar transferred to Paris Saint-Germain in a move worth €222 million, making him the most expensive player ever. In France, Neymar won three league titles, three Coupe de France, and two Coupe de la Ligue, which included a domestic treble and being voted Ligue 1 Player of the Year in his debut season.
Neymar helped PSG attain a domestic quadruple in the 2019–20 season, and led the club to its first ever Champions League Final.
Neymar Jr, Net worth is $185 million.
Wayne Rooney Net worth – $160 million
Wayne Rooney is the 5th richest footballer in the world. He has a net worth of $160 million
Rooney has been among the top 10 highest-earning soccer players every year for 11 years running.
Wayne Rooney was reportedly earning £2.6million ($3.5m) per year at DC United.
He has endorsement deals with brands such as Samsung, Coca Cola, EA Sports and Nike. Rooney net worth is $160 million
Rooney joined the Everton youth team at the age of nine and made his professional debut for the club in 2002 at the age of 16.
He spent two seasons at the Merseyside club, before moving to Manchester United for £25.6 million in the 2004 summer transfer window where he won 16 trophies and became the only English player, alongside teammate Michael Carrick, to win the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, League Cup, UEFA Europa League, and FIFA Club World Cup.
He scored 253 goals for United in all competitions to make him their top goalscorer of all time, with 183 Premier League goals being the second most scored by a player for any single club, behind Sergio Agüero,184 goals for Manchester City. Rooney’s 208 Premier League goals make him the Premier League’s second-top scorer of all time. He also has the third-highest number of assists in the Premier League, with 103
Richest Footballers in the World
Gareth Bale Net worth – $ 130 million
Bale is the 6th richest footballer in the world with a net worth of $130 million
Bale signed a contract extension with Real in 2016 worth £150million
He is said to earn £600,000 a week before tax, with the deal running until 2022.
Read Highest Paid African Footballers
Bale’s endorsements earned him an estimated £10 million per year. His endorsement includes; Adidas, EA Sports, Lucozade, BT Sport, Nissan Motor, Konami and Foot Locker. Gareth Bale net worth is $130 million making him one of the richest footballers in the world
Bale began his professional career at Southampton, playing at left-back and earning acclaim as a free kick specialist. Bale moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, for an eventual £7 million fee.
During his time at Tottenham, managerial and tactical shifts saw him transform into a more attacking player.
In 2011 and 2013 he was named PFA Players’ Player of the Year, and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year. In 2013, he was also named PFA Young Player of the Year, the FWA Footballer of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season. He was nominated to the PFA Team of the Year three times in a row between 2011 and 2013.
On 1 September 2013, Bale was transferred to Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee. Press at the time reported the transfer value at figures between €91 million and €100 million.
Andres Iniesta net worth -$125 million
Another one of the top 10 richest footballers in the world is Andres Iniesta with a net worth of $125 million
Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Japanese club Vissel Kobe, Iniesta is the one of the richest footballers in the world.
He takes weekly wages of $576,923.08
Iniesta came through La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy, after an early migration from his birthplace, and impressed from an early age. He made his first-team debut aged 18 in 2002. He began playing regularly during the 2004–05 season and remained in the team until 2018.
Iniesta was an integral part of the Barcelona sides that won two historic trebles in 2009 and 2015, and his 35 trophies, which includes nine La Ligas and four UEFA Champions League titles, make him the most decorated Spanish footballer of all time.
After twenty-two years at Barcelona, Iniesta signed for Japanese club Vissel Kobe in 2018.
Eden Hazard net worth -$ 100 million
Hazard salary is around $15.4 million a year. He has endorsement deals with Topps, Nike Electronic Arts.
Until recently, Hazard enjoyed the status of one of the best footballers in the world. He is the youngest player to win the Ligue 1 Player of the Year while playing for Lille.
He went on to gain much popularity with English giant Chelsea before what seems like a spell cast in his life move to Real Madrid. He is yet to make a remarkable impact at Madrid after three years at the club.
Hazard is the son of two former footballers and began his career in Belgium playing for local youth clubs. In 2005, he moved to France, where he began his senior career with Ligue 1 club Lille.
Hazard spent two years in the club’s academy and, at the age of 16, made his professional debut in November 2007. He became an integral part of the Lille team under manager Rudi Garcia.
In his first full season, he became the first non-French player to win the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award, and the following season became the first player to win the award twice.
In the 2010–11 season, he was a part of the Lille team that won the league and cup double and, as a result of his performances, was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year, the youngest player to win the award.
After making over 190 appearances and scoring 50 goals for Lille, Hazard signed for English club Chelsea in June 2012. He won the UEFA Europa League in his first season and the PFA Young Player of the Year in his second.
In the 2014–15 season, Hazard helped Chelsea win the League Cup and Premier League, earning him the FWA Footballer of the Year and the PFA Players’ Player of the Year awards. Two years later he won his second English league title as Chelsea won the 2016–17 Premier League.
In 2018, he won the FA Cup, and was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI. He won the Europa League again with Chelsea in June 2019, then joined Real Madrid in a transfer worth up to €150 million
Eden Hazard net worth is currently purged at $100 million making him one of the top 10 richest footballers in the world.
10th Richest Footballer in the World
Paul Pogba net worth -$125 million
Paul Labile Pogba is the 10th richest footballer in the world with a net worth of 125 million
After four years with Juventus, Pogba returned to Manchester United in 2016 for a then-record $120 million transfer fee.
Pogba’s 5-year contract with United pays more than $20 million a year.
The French midfielder actively promotes charities to end racism and clean oceans. His own foundation is focused on clean drinking water in Africa.
Currently Paul Pogba is only one of the most decorated footballers on earth, he is also among the wealthiest soccer stars list.
Born in Lagny-sur-Marne, Pogba joined the youth team of Ligue 1 side Le Havre in 2007, before a protracted transfer brought him to Manchester United two years later.
After beginning his senior career with Manchester United two years later, limited appearances persuaded him to depart to join Italian side Juventus on a free transfer in 2012, where he helped the club to four consecutive Serie A titles, as well as two Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana titles.
During his time in Italy, Pogba further established himself as one of the most promising young players in the world and received the Golden Boy award in 2013, followed by the Bravo Award in 2014.
In 2016, Pogba was named to the 2015 UEFA Team of the Year, as well as the 2015 FIFA FIFPro World XI, after helping Juventus to the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final, their first in 12 years.
Pogba’s performances at Juventus led to him returning to Manchester United in 2016 for a then-world record transfer fee of €105 million (£89.3 million).The fee was the highest paid by an English club at the time.
In his first season back, he won the League Cup and the Europa League. In the 2018–19 season, he was named in the PFA Team of the Year.
Paul Pogba net worth is $125 million and he is among the top 10 richest footballers in the world.
Mohamed Salah net worth -$100 million
Mohammed Salah is among the richest footballers in the world. The Liverpool star earns about $25 million as salary annually .
Mo Salah also earns about $16 million in endorsement deals.
Salah started his senior career with Egyptian club Al Mokawloon, departing shortly thereafter to join Swiss side Basel for an undisclosed fee.
In Switzerland, his performances attracted Premier League side Chelsea, who signed him in 2014 for a reported fee of £11 million. However, he was used sparingly in his debut season and was allowed to leave on loan to Serie A clubs Fiorentina and Roma, with the latter eventually signing him permanently for €15 million.
Following his role in helping Roma to a second-placed finish and a club record points tally in 2017, Salah returned to the Premier League to sign for Liverpool for a then club-record fee of £36.9 million.
In his second spell in England, Salah adapted his game from a natural winger to a forward, and he netted 32 goals in 36 league games in his debut season, winning the Premier League Golden Boot and breaking the Premier League scoring record for a 38-game season.
Salah’s performances earned him a number of individual accolades, including the PFA Players’ Player of the Year. He also came third in the 2018 Best FIFA Men’s Player award.
The following season, he finished as the Premier League’s joint-top goalscorer and helped Liverpool win the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League, scoring in the final. In his third season at the club, he helped the team win the 2019–20 Premier League, which ended the club’s 30-year league title drought.
Mohammed Salah’s career earnings and achievements have earned him a spot among the wealthiest footballers in the world with a net worth of $100 million
Summary of the top 10 richest footballers in the world 2024
Christiano Ronaldo -$650 million
Lionel Messi -$600 million
Zlatan Ibrahimović -$190 million
Neymar Jr -$185 million
Wayne Rooney -$160 million
Gareth Bale _$130 million
Andreas Iniesta -$125 million
Eden Hazard -&100 million
Paul Pogba -$125 million
Mohamed Salah -$100 million
Source: Glusea