Though the outbreak of the coronavirus also known as COVID-19 has halted all the major leagues across the world including the money-spinning European Champions League, the usual suspects when it comes to top paid footballers in the world, are still smiling when they check their account balance.
However, the smile might not last for too long as the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing clubs to cut down players’ salaries and bonuses. For instance, top earners in the game like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are expected to lose up to 20% of their weekly earnings from their respective clubs if the pandemic lingers on.
Besides that, since matches are no longer running across Europe and in other continents of the world, the earning of the superstars in the game would dwindle in the coming days. This would possibly happen because there would be match bonuses and other privileges that come with being featured in a live match.
Notwithstanding, the numbers are still very high for the golden footballers of this generation and the reigning world best footballer of the year, Lionel Messi, is still at the top of the highest-paid footballers in the world.
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Below is the list of the highest-paid footballers in the world in 2020 before coronavirus became a pandemic:
10. Kylian Mbappe – £24.73m
PSG star Mbappe is one of global football’s fastest rising talents, having won a World Cup and several domestic trophies at just 21. He can expect his pay to keep rising.
9. Robert Lewandowski – £26.56m
Lewandowski has scored 25 Bundesliga goals and 11 goals in just six Champions League games before the football season was halted by the coronavirus outbreak. He supplements his Bayern Munich salary with a lucrative sponsorship deal with Nike.
8. Raheem Sterling – £30.96m
Since transferring to Manchester City from Liverpool in 2015, Sterling has become the hottest property in English football. He earns around $350,000 per week, topped up by numerous sponsorships, including one with Nike.
7. Andres Iniesta – £31.14m
After a 22-year career in Spain in which he won a World Cup, four Champions Leagues, and nine La Liga titles, midfielder Iniesta moved to Japanese side Vissel Kobe in 2018, and got a huge payday, becoming one of world football’s best-paid players.
6. Eden Hazard – £32.06m
Hazard moved from Chelsea to Real Madrid for an approximate fee of $157 million, on a rumoured $470,000 per week pay package. He is also on the cover of FIFA 20, the premier football video game.
5. Antoine Griezmann £35.25m
Barcelona star Griezmann, a World Cup winner with France, has sponsorships with companies including Puma, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, and Huawei.
4. Gareth Bale – £35.45m
Bale has fallen out of favour with Real Madrid, but still makes huge money in Spain, supplementing his salary with sponsorships, and Instagram posts that can make $185,000 each.
3. Neymar – £87m
Brazilian Neymar is history’s most expensive footballer, having moved from Barcelona to PSG for $260 million in 2017. He has his own trademarked brand and huge deals with Nike and Beats.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo – £109m
He may be in the final years of his career, but Juventus star Ronaldo is still one of the biggest draws in world football. Aside from traditional sponsorships, Ronaldo’s earnings come from sources including a museum of his life, Instagram and a hotel chain.
1. Lionel Messi – £120m
Barcelona and Argentina football star Messi made a base salary of $646,000 per week last season, and that’s before considering his lucrative deals with the likes of Adidas and Pepsi.
In the year 2020, football payer value surged way too high and we saw a record-breaking salary and wages. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Bale, Antonio Griezemann, and many more. This is the list of the Top highest paid footballers in the world. They are filthy rich while doing what they do best.
