Kylian Mbappe has topped Forbes’ list of the highest paid footballers, the first time someone other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo has topped the list in nine years.
According to Forbes, Kylian Mbappe, 23, a forward for Paris Saint-Germain, will make $128 million (£115.2 million) this year.
Messi, a PSG teammate of Mbappe, is in second place with $120 million (£108 million), while Ronaldo, a striker for Manchester United, is in third place with $100 million (£90 million).
Mohamed Salah and Neymar round out the top five.
Neymar of PSG and Brazil will make an estimated $87 million (£78.4 million) in 2022–2023; Salah of Liverpool will make $53 million (£47.7 million).
Former England captain David Beckham was the final player to rank first outside of Ronaldo or Messi in 2013.
In May, Mbappe agreed to a lucrative new three-year contract with PSG, putting an end to rumors of a summer transfer to Real Madrid.
Since arriving on loan from Monaco in 2017, the France World Cup champion has won 11 trophies at the club, including four Ligue 1 championships.
Erling Haaland, who joined Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in the summer and has scored 19 goals in 12 appearances, debuts in the top 10 at number six.
Together with Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah, and Kevin de Bruyne of Manchester City, the Norwegian attacker is one of four Premier League players in the top 10.
The only players on the list under 30 are Haaland and Mbappe.
Forbes’ list of highest-paid footballers 2022
| Kylian Mbappe | PSG and France | $128m (£115.2m) |
| Lionel Messi | PSG and Argentina | $120m (£108m) |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United and Portugal | $100m (£90m) |
| Neymar | PSG and Brazil | $87m (£78.4m) |
| Mohamed Salah | Liverpool and Egypt | $53m (£47.7m) |
| Erling Haaland | Manchester City and Norway | $39m (£35.1m) |
| Robert Lewandowski | Barcelona and Poland | $35m (31.5m) |
| Eden Hazard | Real Madrid and Belgium | $31m (£27.9m) |
| Andres Iniesta | Vissel Kobe and Spain | $30m (£27m) |
| Kevin de Bruyne | Manchester City and Belgium | $29m (26.1m) |
Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were in their 30s and at the pinnacle of their individual careers when their combined total annual earnings for the first time in 2018 crossed the $100 million mark for each player. Kylian Mbappé accomplished the feat at the age of 23 which is a record for a footballer.
The French superstar, who now holds the top spot in Forbes’ annual ranking of the world’s highest-paid footballers, is predicted to make $128 million for the 2022–23 season before taxes and agents’ fees.
Despite rumors linking him to a transfer to La Liga’s Real Madrid, which even prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to urge him to stay, Mbappé inked a three-year contract extension with Ligue 1 powerhouse Paris-Saint Germain in May to stay in his native country.
Kylian Mbappe tops the list of the highest paid footballers in the world;
Mbappé has solidified his position as the face of French soccer after winning three of the previous four Ligue 1 Player of the Year Awards.
Recently, he has exercised that influence. Mbappé declined to take part in a photo shoot and other sponsor events in opposition to the image rights agreement the French national team has with its players; the French Football Federation has declared it will investigate the situation.
Lionel Messi is the second highest paid footballer in the world:
Messi already makes a fortune off the field, but according to industry experts, if he helps Argentina win the World Cup in November, that sum could increase by as much as 20%. (At the moment, the country is tied for third-best odds.)
In any case, the 35-year-old athlete has stated in the open that Qatar 2022 will “certainly” be his final World Cup. He may potentially be thinking about going back to FC Barcelona in 2023, where he spent the first 17 years of his senior career.
Cristiano Ronaldo is highest-paid footballer off the field:
Ronaldo is the highest-paid footballer in the world off the field despite a steep decline in playing time, thanks to sponsors like Nike, Herbalife, and Livescore.
According to reports, Ronaldo may be looking for a new club in the January transfer window, providing him the opportunity to play again in the Champions League (Manchester United didn’t make the cut for 2022-23). Additionally, he has an astounding 486 million Instagram followers.
Neymar
With a record-breaking $263 million transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, Neymar created history. He renewed his contract in May 2021 through 2025, and he was instrumental in getting Messi to sign on later that year.
In anticipation of the World Cup, Neymar added Ooredoo Group as a sponsor, demonstrating his continued success as a salesperson.
Mohamed Salah
Salah was voted England’s Men’s Footballer of the Year and Playmaker of the Season after a standout performance that nearly brought Liverpool the Premier League title on the final day of the season. He also won the league’s Golden Boot Award.
He extended his contract with Liverpool for three more years in July, and he will remain one of Adidas’ most well-known athletes through the year 2025.
Erling Haaland
According to Forbes, Haaland receives $4 million in endorsement payments each year from companies like Hyperice, Samsung, and Viaplay, but that sum is expected to rise sharply.
According to reports, Haaland’s upcoming shoe deal might be valued up to $18 million a year. This year saw the expiration of his prior contract with Nike.
