Football is considered one of the most lucrative businesses in the world and the salaries involved prove it all. Recently, the amount of funds being used to sign players has increased, and also their salaries have gone up. Most especially the top players are the ones involved in the big-money contracts, salaries, and deals.
For a 23-year-old to earn up to €1M weekly, that shows that there are a lot of financial opportunities in the game. But who are the 5 highest-paid footballers in the world and how much do they earn weekly?
1. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain – £1M/week)
After rejecting Real Madrid’s advances this summer, Kylian Mbappe chose to sign a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain and the new contract will give Kylian Mbappe USD 63 million annually, which is the highest football salary in the world.
The Frenchman’s weekly salary has also increased to £1 million (€1.16 million), making him the highest-paid player in the world every week. The winner of the World Cup will also get extra payments for goals, Ballon d’Or successes, and UEFA Champions League triumphs in addition to a signing-on incentive of $126 million (£100 million). In reality, Mohamed Salah, who is ranked second in the English Premier League, earns £600,000 (€696,000) less than what Kylian Mbappe gets at Paris Saint-Germain. The wage of Kylian Mbappe is approximately USD 12 million greater than his team-mate Lionel Messi, in terms of yearly figures.
2. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain – £960,000/week)
The second player on the list is one of the best players in the game, Lionel Messi. The Argentinian hitman is 34 years old but still considered The Greatest Of All Time (GOAT). After unexpectedly deciding to leave Barcelona in the summer of 2021, the Argentine superstar became a free agent. Lionel Messi is expected to receive USD 41 million yearly following his 2021 transfer from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner takes home £960,000 each week in pay. Messi was ranked as the highest-paid footballer for the previous 12 months by Forbes, despite taking a $22 million pay reduction to sign with the French Ligue 1 champions.
However, his teammate Kylian Mbappe’s new salary at the club places him in second place.
3. Neymar Jr (Paris Saint-Germain – £606,000/week)
The third highest-paid footballer is Neymar Jr and he’s also from Paris Saint-Germain. The Brazilian signed a new contract with PSG in the summer of 2021. The 30-year-old will remain committed to the Parisian team up to the summer of 2025 and each year he will be paid $36.5 million.
Neymar has consistently ranked among the best five or ten players in the world in the past ten years. Even though he has won everything in France, he would gladly exchange many domestic championships for the coveted UEFA Champions League trophy at PSG. The Brazilian is also set to extend his contract until 2027 after being linked with a move away from Paris Saint-Germain.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United – £510,000/week)
Cristiano Ronaldo signed a two-year contract with his former team Manchester United in the summer of 2021, making him the highest-paid player in the history of the English Premier League. Ronaldo thus made his way back to Old Trafford after more than 12 years at Juventus and Real Madrid. Although the future does not look good for the Red Devils right now, Cristiano Ronaldo shouldn’t be concerned about his finances.
Even at the age of 37, he is the fourth-highest paid player in the world and has a two-year contract with a one-year extension option with the Premier League club. However, the Portugal hitman has told Manchester United that he’s ready to leave this summer.
5. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool – £400,000/week)
Mohamed Salah now ranks among the top 5 highest-paid footballers in the world, thanks to his new Liverpool contract. The Egyptian international has signed a new contract that will keep him at Anfield until 2025.
This is coming after Sadio Mane left Jurgen Klopp’s team for Bayern Munich as Liverpool failed to persuade him to sign a new contract. Salah has decided to stay and he signed a deal that will pay him £400,000 (€465,000) every week and £20.8 million annually.
254 appearances. 156 goals. 58 assists…
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 1, 2022
…and plenty more history that is yet to be written ✍️#SalahStays pic.twitter.com/xroZKcJfyo
