Home of football statistics and historyProfessional football is a hugely lucrative industry, particularly for the players who operate at the pinnacle of the global food chain.
Few moments in sport light up the audience (in stadium and at home alike) than the very best performers stepping up and shining in key moments – and commensurately, more fans place wagers on these stars’ performances through top betting sites not on GamStop that offer competitive sports odds, fast payouts and generous bonuses like welcome rewards, free bets and odds boosts. However, some of the highest earning football stars are getting older, and their odds aren’t as good as they used to be. For example, Ronaldo is a 150/1 outsider for the Ballon d’Or this year.
Of the 50 highest earners on the sports rich list, eight are soccer players. Basketball (16) and American Football (13) dominate the landscape.
Two iconic football stars feature in the top five – Cristiano Ronaldo (first) and Lionel Messi (fifth). Here are the eight players listed in the top 50:
| Club | Nationality | On-Field Earnings | Off-Field Earnings | Total Earnings | |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Al-Nassr | Portugal | $225m | $50m | $275m |
| Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | Argentina | $60m | $75m | $135m |
| Karim Benzema | Al-Ittihad | France | $100m | $4m | $104m |
| Kylian Mbappe | Real Madrid | France | $70m | $20m | $90m |
| Neymar | Santos | Brazil | $46m | $30m | $76m |
| Erling Braut Haaland | Manchester City | Norway | $48m | $14m | $62m |
| Vinicius Junior | Real Madrid | Brazil | $40m | $15m | $55m |
| Sadio Mane | Al-Nassr | Senegal | $50m | $4m | $54m |
Three players from the Saudi Pro League (SPL) rank among the world’s 50 highest-paid athletes – Ronaldo, Messi and Sadio Mane.
Brazilian star Neymar can theoretically be added to that group given that the figures cover a period x`when he was a player with an SPL club.
Ronaldo’s place at the top of the rich list will remain unchallenged for the next couple of years. He recently signed a new contract with Al-Nassr until 2027.
However, while the SPL club seem happy to pay Ronaldo untold riches to keep him in the Middle East, their investment has not paid dividends on the pitch.
Al-Nassr have yet to win silverware with Ronaldo in their team and they will be desperate for him to rectify matters before he hangs up his boots.
Messi now lags significantly behind his old rival in the salary stakes, although he is unlikely to be losing too much sleep, having earned $135m last year.
The Argentinian can also console himself with the fact that he is spending the latter stages of his career in a sustainable league rather than one built on sand.
French striker Karim Benzema completes the trio of footballers in the top 10 on the athletes’ rich list after banking a cool $104m last year.
He helped Al-Ittihad win the league and cup double in Saudi Arabia in 2024/25 and will be eager to keep Ronaldo in his shadow next season.
Kylian Mbappe has replaced Benzema as the main man at Real Madrid, but his $90m annual earnings fall a little short of his illustrious compatriot.
Madrid’s massive investment in Mbappe has yet to pay dividends, with the club failing to win any major silverware during the previous campaign.
Neymar, Erling Braut Haaland, Vinicius Junior and Mane round off the octet of footballers who feature in the top 50 athletes rich list.
Haaland has won a plethora of major trophies since joining Manchester City and will spearhead their bid to add more to their tally during the 2025/26 season.
However, there is a suspicion that his earnings would go through the roof if he signed for Madrid or Barcelona in the future.
While Man City have developed their brand in recent years, they do not have the global appeal of their La Liga counterparts.
Haaland has previously said that he would like to play in Spain at some point and a move there would send his annual earnings skyrocketing.
Vinicius Junior is another player who has the potential to earn more, although he may have to head to the Middle East to achieve this.
He could be an enticing proposition as a replacement for Ronaldo when he retires and would command a massive salary if he moved to the SPL.
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