Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain is currently the highest paid footballer in the Europe’s top five leagues with a monthly salary of €6M.
Fans all over the world enjoyed 2022 with the FIFA World Cup capping up the whole year. The final of the tournament was action filled with Argentina and France giving fans the best of a World Cup final experience.
Many international players were in the spotlight during the World Cup which took place in Qatar, especially Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe who thrilled the world in the final.
The French star Kylian Mbappe earned a consolation prize after his country’s FIFA World Cup loss to Messi-led Argentina. However, TransferMarket still named him the highest-paid player in 2022.
Well, the France born star did not lose the highest paid title in 2023 as the 24-year old is the highest-paid player in Europe’s top 5 league this year.
Note that Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid football player in the world currently earning $208m, but since our scope is in Europe, the 38-year-old Portuguese icon is excluded from this list.
Kylian Mbappe – PSG (Estimated annual income – $125m)
Kylian Mbappe who is just 24 years old is currently the highest-paid football player in Europe’s top 5 leagues.
Mbappe’s new contract at PSG earns him a staggering $105 million per year, with an additional $20 million in sponsorships.
Lionel Messi – PSG (Estimated annual income – $110m)
Lionel Messi is globally considered by former stars and football lovers as one of, if not the best player to have ever played the game.
Messi makes a lot of money each year, and when you are that good, your income status should match your footballing skills.
The Argentine who have won the Ballon d’Or a record 7 times, earns a reported $65m annually in wages and a further $50m from endorsement deals.
Messi also makes money on other deals which cuts across all businesses including wristwatches, fizzy pop, telecoms, sportswear, sports drinks, beer and video games.
Neymar Jr – PSG (Estimated annual income – $91m)
Neymar is on out list. Indeed, there’s literally few list you would not see the Brazilian in the first 10 if not even first 5.
The former Barcelona star is considered one of the best in the world and also makes a lot of money in the game.
Aside from football, just like others, Neymar has more than a dozen endorsement deals in Europe, Asia and South America.
Neymar earns a whopping $56 million in wages at Paris Saint-Germain and also has a $10 million-a-year contractual deal with Puma.
Mohamed Salah – Liverpool (Estimate annual income – $39.5m)
Mo Salah as he is fondly called won a third Premier League golden boot to really underling what a clinical goalscorer he has become over the years.
He, alongside departed Mane are the two best signings in the Jurgen Klopp’s era.
Last summer, he signed a new deal with The Reds which saw him earn £350,000 ($413,000) per week in wages.
Aside football, he also makes profit from his global image after making a awesome $15 million annually by virtue of his endorsement deals.
Eden Hazard – Real Madrid (Estimated annual income – $31.1m)
Eden Hazard has been suffering since moving to Real Madrid and have not lived up to the expectations of fans as well as his new employers.
His move to the Bernabeu has been a disappointment so far but his bank account can’t relate because he still makes his money.
The Belgian captain amazingly takes home $28.6 million in wages and another $2.5 million in endorsements which makes him one of the highest paid footballer in the world.
Raheem Sterling – Chelsea (Estimated annual income – $29.5m)
Raheem Sterling made an interesting move from Manchester City to Chelsea that saw him earns a reported wages of $365,000 per week.
The former Liverpool and Manchester City star also has a long-term endorsement deal with sports giants Puma, as well as several lucrative deals.
Kevin De Bruyne (Estimated annual income – $29m)
Kevin De Bruyne, a Manchester City midfielder from Belgium is also on Futballnews’ list of highest paid players in Europe.
The former Wolfsburg and Chelsea star earns an estimated $29m a year at the Etihad, which includes basic wages, bonuses, and endorsements.
Antoine Griezmann (Estimated annual income – $27m)
Antoine Griezmann, aside being one of the best in the world, is also one of the highest paid footballer in the world.
Griezmann, who is currently at Atletico Madrid, earns around $27 million a year including endorsements and bonuses.
While Madrid and Barcelona are fighting over his deal and permanency, his wages have not be affected as he still smiles to the bank.
Greizmann was a key member of the France team World Cup campaign in 2018 and also helped the team reach the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar which they lost to Argentina on penalties.
