For a football player to attain the height of being one of the richest footballers in the world, the footballer must have played for the best club and made a name for himself in the game.
It takes a lot of consistency, drive to win silverware, popularity, huge demand in the transfer market, and many more. The aforementioned are parts of what could make a footballer to be among the richest in the game.
Players on this list earn millions a year from wages and endorsement deals and one of them has a net worth of billions because he is from a rich family.
These are the richest footballers in the world in terms of their net worth in 2024.
1 Faiq Bolkiah (£16 billion)
The player is an unfamiliar name on the list of the richest footballers in the world in 2024. He has a net worth of £16 billion. The American-born footballer has this huge amount of wealth because he is from a rich family.
Bolkiah is the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei. He is less successful in football than the other footballers in terms of winning silverware. He currently plays for Chonburi F.C in Thailand.
2. Lionel Messi (£516 million)
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is the second-richest footballer in the world, with an amassed wealth of £516 million. He had been financially rewarded over the years due to his creative ability and his ability to score goals.
Messi spent two decades with Barcelona before moving to Paris Saint-Germain, which is the richest club in Ligue 1. Messi’s source of income come from Sportify endorsements as part of his lucrative contract when he signed for Inter Miami in 2023.
Also, he has sponsorship deals with big brands like Adidas, Pepsi, and Mastercard.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (£476 million)
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has a whopping net worth of £476 million. Many brands have shown support for the Portuguese star. He is an ambassador for Binance and had been seen advertising the cryptocurrency brand countless times.
Ronaldo’s huge net worth of £476 million can also be attributed to his move from Manchester United to Al Nassr in January 2023. He receives a yearly salary of £173 million from the Saudi Arabia Pro League giant.
4. Neymar (£198 million)
The former Paris Saint-Germain attacker has a net worth of £198 million. He is one of the greatest Brazilians to have ever played the game of soccer in Europe. The 32-year-old is well recognised, coupled with many sponsorship deals in his career.
He is associated with different brands like Nike, Gillette, Electronic Arts, and many more.
5. Kylian Mbappe (£143 million)
The French attacker who will play for Real Madrid in the 2024–25 season has a net worth of £143 million. To be on the list of one of the richest players in the world is something Mbappe deserves accolades for at the age of 25.
Mbappe is in partnership with famous brands like Nike, and he has appeared on the front cover of numerous FIFA games. At his previous club, Paris Saint-Germain, the Frenchman received 72 million euros on a two-year contract.
6. Paul Pogba (£99 million)
Even though he had been banned from participating in on-field activities for four years, he has a £99 million net worth. He was once one of the most marketable players in the world.
Different brands came to his doorstep after he moved from Juventus to Manchester United in 2016. The transfer saw Pogba become the most expensive player in the Premier League at the time.
His move from Juventus to Manchester United was not as expected, as the player failed to impress the Manchester United fans.
7. Antoine Griezmann (£71 million)
The French attacker has a net worth of £71 million. Over the decade, the French man had played a prominent part in the success of Atletico Madrid. He is finally getting the recognition he deserves as one of the best attackers in the World after a horrible string at Barcelona disrupted his excellent career.
8. Mohamed Salah (£71 million)
The Premier League is one of the richest leagues in the world, with players getting huge salaries at top clubs in particular. Salah has a net worth of £71 million. The 31-year-old was linked with a mega-money move to Saudi Arabia Pro League teams.
If he had moved to the Middle East, he could have been the highest-paid player in the world. Sponsorship deals had flooded in for the Egyptian, including Pepsi ads alongside big names like Lionel Messi.
9. Robert Lewandowski (£67 million)
The Polish striker went from being one of the biggest stars in the German Bundesliga to becoming the most important striker in Barcelona.
He has a net worth of £67 million. The Barcelona striker is ahead of Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham on the list.
Lewandowski has some endorsements deal with big brands like Nike, Pepsi, Huawei, and Proctor & Gamble.
10. David De Gea (£60 million)
Despite being a free agent, David De Gea is the first goalkeeper on the list of the richest footballers in the world, with a net worth of £60 million.
The goalkeeper has been a free agent since he was released by Manchester United in the 2023–24 season.
However, there are rumours that the goalkeeper may return to on-field action next season, with different clubs lumbering around for his service.
11. Luis Suarez (£56 million)
The Uruguayan enjoyed a dazzling career due to his consistency over the years and the number of trophies won in his career. Suarez is currently playing for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, in America.
He is the 11th player on the list, with a net worth of £56 million. He has sponsorship deals with Adidas, PepsiCo, My Brand, and Hawke.
12. Kevin De Bruyne (£56 million)
The Belgian has a net worth of £56 million. He is one of the richest footballers in the Premier League. The attacker has played an integral part in the success of Manchester City, with the club clinching their fourth Premier League title in a row.
The Manchester City captain has endorsement deals with Nike and EA Sports, Jay-Z-owned Roc Nation Sports, Orange, and crypto firm Phemex.
13. Thomas Muller (£45 million)
The attacker has consistently achieved success with the Bayern Munich side. His appearances on the world stage has made him one of the richest footballers in the world, with a net worth of £45 million.
He has won numerous trophies with Bayern Munich and German national teams. Muller has endorsement deals with Adidas, Procter & Gamble, Gillette, energy company Rewe, and automobile company Volkswagen.
Also, he has an endorsement deal with Italian food manufacturer Barilla and Weber-Stephen, a US manufacturer of charcoal and gas grills.
14. Jude Bellingham (£40 million)
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, who came from Birmingham City Academy, has been one of the most talented players to watch in the world. He has a whopping net worth of £40 million.
In his first season at Real Madrid, he won the Champions League, the La Liga title, and the Spanish Super Cup.
The English star has endorsements deals with Adidas, Skims, Louis Vuitton, McDonald, and Lucozade.
15. Sergio Busquets (£35 million)
The Inter Miami midfielder has a net worth of £35 million. His income skyrocketed after moving to Inter Miami from Barcelona. There are no information about any endorsement deal.
16. Thiago Silva (£35 million)
The former Chelsea defender had been consistent over the years with his beautiful play at the back coupled with his creative ability. He has a net worth of £45 million.
He won the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea. The Brazilian had endorsement deals with One Hyperbarics, Puma, and SuperBet.
17 Erling Haaland (£32 million)
The superstar striker has been top-notch everywhere he goes with his gifted ability to score goals. He had two successful seasons at Manchester City, where he won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, and the FA Cup.
Haaland also ended both seasons with the Golden Boot. The Norwegian has a net worth of £32 million. He has sponsorship deals with Nike, EA Sports, Red Bull, and TAG Heuer.
His sponsorship deal with Nike commands £15 million annually, while his partnership with EA Sports commands £10 million. In addition, his deal with TAG Heuer gets him £5 million.
The player’s other sources of wealth come from his wages at Manchester City and other bonuses. He receives £375,000 per week.
18. Harry Kane (£32 million)
The England national team’s highest goal scorer, Harry Kane, has a net worth of £32 million. He has endorsement deals with big brands like American multinational footwear manufacturer Skechers, Nike, Cadbury, Beats by Dr. Dre, Amazon, EA Sports, and many others.
19. Jack Grealish (£32 million)
Manchester City has a net worth of £32 million. He is one of the richest football stars in the Manchester City squad. His endorsement deals are with Gucci, Puma, Bose, Pepsi, Airways, BoohooMan, OKX, and many more.
20. Manuel Neuer (£31.6 million)
The Bayern Munich goalkeeper remains one of the greatest goalkeepers in Bundesliga history. He has a net worth of £31.6 million. Neuer significant wealth comes from endorsement deals with Coca-Cola, Adidas, Head and Shoulders, and Hisense.
