Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe is currently the highest football player in the world following the conclusion of the 2022 summer transfer window a few days ago.
According to Sportico, Mbappe currently earns $125 million at PSG.
The France World Cup winner is ahead of Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who sits in the second position with
The 10 highest-paid soccer players will earn an estimated $625 million this year before taxes, with 33% of the total from endorsements. They hail from eight different clubs and were born in eight different countries. The salary numbers at the top of the table are eye-popping, but there is a huge drop-off after the first four players. The big four are the only players expected to make $30 million in salary.
Estimates were compiled through conversations with agents, clubs and marketing experts in the U.S. and Europe and are pre-tax projections for the 2022-23 season. The current values of the Euro and British Pound are both off more than 10% from the average of last season. The result is lower salaries and endorsement estimates when shown in U.S. dollars.
The Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2022-23
1. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain): $125 million
Salary/bonus: $105 million; Endorsements: $20 million; Age: 23
Mbappé had an added layer of leverage in his contract negotiations since his contract had expired, and it would have been a free transfer to move to Real Madrid. The Spanish club offered PSG a $200 million transfer fee for the Frenchman in 2021.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United): $113 million
Salary/bonus: $53 million; Endorsements: $60 million; Age: 37
In addition to his endorsements, Ronaldo’s CR7 brand is used on eyewear, footwear, fragrances, underwear, hotels and gyms. He holds the records for most appearances (187), goals (141) and assists (42) in Champions League play.
3. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain): $110 million
Salary/bonus: $62 million; Endorsements: $48 million; Age: 35
Only Ronaldo and Kylie Jenner have more Instagram followers than Messi. He added an eight-figure deal with Socios to his sponsor portfolio, which also includes Adidas, Budweiser, Mastercard, PepsiCo and at least 10 others.
4. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain): $91 million
Salary/bonus: $56 million; Endorsements: $35 million; Age: 30
The Brazilian striker has more than a dozen endorsement deals, highlighted by his $10 million-a-year pact with Puma, and is looking to focus more on equity-based agreements during his 30s.
5. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): $39.5 million
Salary/bonus: $24.5 million; Endorsements: $15 million; Age: 30
Last season, Salah won his third Golden Boot, awarded annually to the Premier League’s leading goal scorer. Liverpool re-signed the Egyptian forward in a deal worth £350,000 ($413,000) weekly, plus incentives.
6. Eden Hazard (Real Madrid): $31.1 million
Salary/bonus: $28.6 million; Endorsements: $2.5 million; Age: 31
It has been a disappointing run for the Belgium national team captain since he joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2019 on a €150 million transfer fee. In May, Madrid won Champions League, but Hazard never saw the field.
7. Andrés Iniesta (Vissel Kobe): $30 million
Salary/bonus: $23 million; Endorsements: $7 million; Age: 38
Iniesta shocked the soccer world when he left Barcelona in 2018 for J1 League club Vissel Kobe and later signed a two-year contract extension. He’s been in demand from sponsors while playing in Japan with more than 10 active deals.
8. Raheem Sterling (Chelsea): $29.4 million
Salary/bonus: $21.4 million; Endorsements: $8 million; Age: 27
Sterling signed a contract extension with Chelsea in July. The new agreement is worth £325,000 ($384,000) per week. He joined Puma’s athlete roster in 2021, after playing his entire career in Nikes.
9. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City): $29 million
Salary/bonus: $25.5 million; Endorsements: $3.5 million; Age: 31
The midfielder has been a key cog in helping Man City win four Premier League titles since he joined the club in 2015. De Bruyne was one of the first soccer players to join Roc Nation Sports. His partners include Nike, Wow Hydrate, Credit Karma, Veo, Secret Lab and Therabody.
10. Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid): $27.5 million
Salary/bonus: $22 million; Endorsements: $5.5 million; Age: 31
Griezmann joined Atlético from Barcelona in 2021 under a two-year loan agreement. The two clubs are now in a dispute over a clause in the contract where Atlético would be required to pay Barca €40 million, based on his playing time last season.
Credit: Sportico
