In 2024, the highest-paid footballers are making extraordinary sums, especially with the influence of the Saudi Pro League. Here’s a list of the top earners:
Cristiano Ronaldo
Age: 39 | Club: Al Nassr | Nationality: Portugal | On-Field: $220 million • Off-Field: $65 million
With a social media following in excess of 900 million across Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), Ronaldo is the most popular athlete on the planet, and his online presence recently got even bigger with the launch of a YouTube channel in August. He needed only 90 minutes to cross the one million subscriber mark, shattering the platform’s record. “UR Cristiano” has since grown its audience to nearly 65 million and accumulated more than 544 million views on just 59 videos. Ronaldo’s more traditional partnerships include Nike, Herbalife and Whoop—in which he has an equity stake—not to mention CR-branded hotels, fragrances and underwear. All of those business endeavors will surely keep the 39-year-old busy whenever he decides to hang up his boots; Ronaldo’s contract with Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr is set to conclude after this season.
#2. $135 million
Lionel Messi
Age: 37 | Club: Inter Miami | Nationality: Argentina | On-Field: $60 million • Off-Field: $75 million
Just a few months after leading Argentina to its 16th Copa América title, and the second of his career, Messi has Inter Miami in a position to claim its first championship. The South Florida-based franchise has accumulated an MLS-best 71 points with one regular-season match to play, putting it in pole position to take home the MLS Cup when the playoffs begin on October 23. Win or lose, it’s likely not the last of Messi in Miami. He’s under contract for 2025 and has an option for 2026, with Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas telling Forbes in April that he’s “highly confident” his star striker will return. In the meantime, Messi boasts an impressive portfolio of partners off the field—including Adidas, Apple TV and Konami—and an Instagram account with more than 500 million followers. Last month, he also launched his own production company called 525 Rosario, named for his hometown in Argentina and the address of his family home.
#3. $110 million
Neymar
Age: 32 | Club: Al Hilal | Nationality: Brazil | On-Field: $80 million • Off-Field: $30 million
Neymar’s tenure in Saudi Arabia has hardly gone as planned. The Brazilian superstar made only five appearances with Al Hilal before tearing his ACL last October. He has since returned to training with the club, but now the 32-year-old has to decide whether to remain in the Middle East. His contract with Al Hilal—reportedly featuring perks like access to a private jet, a fleet of luxury cars, a mansion for staff and the right to live with his girlfriend, which would otherwise be restricted by Islamic law—expires at the end of the 2024-25 season. Neymar’s future as a pitchman, on the other hand, looks much more secure. He frequently plugs his sponsors to his 225 million Instagram followers, including both longtime partners like Puma and Blaze Casino and a newer addition, Saudi perfumer Ibrahim Al-Qurashi.
#4. $104 million
Karim Benzema
Age: 36 | Club: Al Ittihad | Nationality: France | On-Field: $100 million • Off-Field: $4 million
With injuries limiting Benzema to 21 matches with Al Ittihad in his first season in Saudi Arabia, the former Ballon d’Or winner posted just nine goals, his lowest total since 2009-10. But the 36-year-old has returned to health and rediscovered his scoring prowess, netting seven goals in six matches this season while his team has collected five wins. Although Al Ittihad finished fifth in the Saudi Pro League last season, Benzema has high hopes for 2024-25, especially after the club added French manager Laurent Blanc. “He’s someone, as I said, who knows soccer, someone who’s very close to his players, someone who you can exchange ideas with,” Benzema told Eurosport. “So that’s good for us, and good for me as well.”
#5. $90 million
Kylian Mbappé
Age: 25 | Club: Real Madrid | Nationality: France | On-Field: $70 million • Off-Field: $20 million
After years of rumors, Mbappé has finally realized his childhood dream of joining Real Madrid. “I want to enjoy every second of this with my family because, for me, it is a day that I will remember for the rest of my life,” he said at his introductory press conference in July, with almost 80,000 fans in attendance at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium to greet him. But the 25-year-old French star continues to battle his old club, Paris Saint-Germain, over roughly $60 million in unpaid wages in a salary dispute that is headed to court. His departure has been felt all across French soccer. Ligue 1, the nation’s top tier, fell far short of the $1.1 billion in annual media rights fees it was aiming for while renegotiating its broadcast deals and will instead collect just over $700 million between domestic and international rights, according to French publication Le Monde.
#6. $60 million
Erling Haaland
Age: 24 | Club: Manchester City | Nationality: Norway | On-Field: $46 million • Off-Field: $14 million
Haaland has piled up major trophies in his two years at Manchester City, with two Premier League championships, an FA Cup and a Champions League title. International competition has been a different story. Norway hasn’t qualified for the World Cup since 1998 or the European Championship since 2000. This week, the country was trounced by Austria, 5-1, in a UEFA Nations League game.
#7. $55 million
Vinicius Jr.
Age: 24 | Club: Real Madrid | Nationality: Brazil | On-Field: $40 million • Off-Field: $15 million
Vinicius, the only newcomer on this year’s earnings list, has been with Real Madrid since he was 18, and in that time he has become an electric scorer, netting 85 goals in 273 matches in all competitions with the club. He has also become an extremely marketable figure, immensely popular in Latin America. The Brazilian has 11 brand deals—including Sony’s PlayStation, Pepsi and Clear shampoo—supplementing an on-field contract he quietly signed in 2022 that ties him to Los Blanco’s until 2027.
#8. $53 million
Mohamed Salah
Age: 32 | Club: Liverpool | Nationality: Egypt | On-Field: $35 million • Off-Field: $18 million
Salah’s star power extends from the Premier League to North Africa and the Middle East, making him a hot commodity for brands operating in that region. He has worked with Vodafone, Mountain View Egypt, Pepsi and Adidas, to name a few, and boasts an audience of nearly 100 million followers across Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
#9. $52 million
Sadio Mané
Age: 32 | Club: Al Nassr | Nationality: Senegal | On-Field: $48 million • Off-Field: $4 million
Al Nassr FC
For years, Mané has been using his multimillion-dollar salary to effect change in his native Senegal. In 2019, he revealed that he donates 70 euros per month to every resident of a “very poor region of Senegal.” The 32-year-old has also funded a series of infrastructure projects, including the construction of a gas station and a post office, as well as the implementation of 4G mobile coverage.
#10. $39 million
Kevin De Bruyne
Age: 33 | Club: Manchester City | Nationality: Belgium | On-Field: $35 million • Off-Field: $4 million
De Bruyne reportedly turned down a lucrative offer to play in Saudi Arabia to avoid uprooting his family from Manchester. But the Kingdom could come calling again: Rumors are swirling that Cristiano Ronaldo is campaigning to bring the Belgian star to Al Nassr. Off the pitch, De Bruyne works with a half-dozen brands, including Nike and McDonald’s
