Who is the richest footballer in the world? [Updated 2023]

Who is the richest footballer in the world

Have you ever wondered who is the richest footballer in the world? The popularity of football is constantly skyrocketing, and thus the players also earn a lot. The richest footballers in the world have made money on and off the field through sports and brand endorsements. But before we dive into naming the wealthiest footballers in the world, let’s clear some air about what it means when we say football.

Depending upon which part of the world you belong to, you might interpret Football as Soccer or American Football. This article will highlight the top 19 richest footballers in the world. Our list includes both Soccer and American football players.

Richest footballer in the world – Top 19 wealthiest players

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady, and Mathew Strafford have immense wealth and popularity worldwide. This article covers some of the richest footballers in the world and everything you need to know about their wealth! We have taken the rankings from Forbes’s highest-paid athletes. 

Here are the top 19 highest-paid football/soccer players in the world:

  1. Lionel Messi – $130 Million+
  2. Cristiano Ronaldo- $115 Million+
  3. Neymar – $95 Million+
  4. Tom Brady – $83 Million+
  5. Matthew Stafford – $ 72.3 Million+
  6. Aaron Rodgers – $ 68 Million+
  7. Josh Allen – $ 67 Million+
  8. Deshaun Watson – $ 55.6 Million+
  9. Patrick Mahomes – $ 49.1 Million+
  10. Kirk Cousins – $ 48.5 Million+
  11. Mohamed Salah – $ 45 Million+
  12. Kylian Mbappé – $ 43 Million+
  13. Marshon Lattimore – $ 40.9 Million+
  14. Amari Cooper – $ 39.4 Million+
  15. Dak Prescott – $ 39.4 Million+
  16. Ryan Ramczyk – $ 38.8 Million+
  17. Stefon Diggs – $ 38.7 Million+
  18. Russell Wilson – $ 38 Million+
  19. T.J.Watt – $ 37.6 Million+

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List of richest football players in 2023

Richest Footballer in the world Forbes’ Ranking Total EarningsSalary (in $)Endorsements (in $)Sport
Lionel Messi1130 Million+75 Million55 MillionSoccer
Cristiano Ronaldo3115 Million+60 Million55 MillionSoccer
Neymar495 Million+70 Million25 MillionSoccer
Tom Brady983 Million+31.9 Million52 MillionFootball
Matthew Stafford1372.3 Million+69.8 Million2.5 MillionFootball
Aaron Rodgers1468 Million+57 Million11 MillionFootball
Josh Allen1667 Million+63 Million4 MillionFootball
Deshaun Watson2155.6 Million+55.5 Million100 ThousandFootball
Patrick Mahomes2449.1 Million+29.1 Million20 MillionFootball
Kirk Cousins2548.5 Million+46 Million2.5 MillionFootball
Mohamed Salah3345 Million+27 Million18 MillionSoccer
Kylian Mbappé3543 Million+28 Million15 MillionSoccer
Marshon Lattimore3840.9 Million+40.8 Million100 ThousandFootball
Amari Cooper4139.4 Million+38.9 Million500 ThousandFootball
Dak Prescott4139.4 Million+27.4 Million12 MillionFootball
Ryan Ramczyk1638.8 Million+38.7 Million100 ThousandFootball
Stefon Diggs4538.7 Million+36.2 Million2.5 MillionFootball
Russell Wilson4638 Million+24 Million14 MillionFootball
T.J.Watt5037.6 Million+36.6 Million1 MillionFootball

Lionel Andrés Messi – The wealthiest player

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi is known to all. Although the Argentinian maestro has only played for two clubs in his professional career, there is no doubt that he is one of the greatest players to touch the ball. The Spanish Club FC Barcelona first signed Messi in 2000. He debuted for the senior team of Barcelona in 2004 and played 17 astonishing seasons, winning every major trophy and finally leaving them in 2021 for the French club Paris Saint Germain. Lionel Messi joined PSG on a two-year contract in a $75-80 million per year deal, excluding taxes and bonuses.

Player’s nameLionel Andrés Messi
Age35 as of 2023
Current ClubParis Saint Germain F.C. (PSG)
Career Appearance974
Career Goals769
Career Assists331
Endorsements/SponsorshipsPepsiCo, Adidas, Konami, MasterCard, Cirque du Soleil, and more.

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (known as CR7)

The Brazilian superstar is currently playing for French club Paris Saint Germain and is one of the wealthiest footballers in the world. Neymar, the magician or show-bot, has played for three clubs in his football career so far. Starting his professional career in 2003, he played in the senior team of Brazil’s Santos FC for about eight years. In 2013, the Spanish club signed Neymar in a $64 million deal. The Brazilian dribbler’s extraordinary skills for four seasons at FC Barcelona amazed the world. It was at FC Barcelona where Neymar’s career skyrocketed because people saw him as the next big player after Messi and Ronaldo. However, in 2017, PSG bought Neymar from FC Barcelona in a record-breaking deal worth $222 million. Neymar has been playing for the French club since 2017 and has won eight trophies in just four seasons.

Player’s nameCristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Age37 as of 2023
Current ClubManchester United F.C.
Career Appearance1,122
Career Goals815
Career Assists231
Endorsements/SponsorshipsNike, Herbalife, Unilever, and more

Neymar Da Silva Santos Júnior

The Brazilian superstar is currently playing for French club Paris Saint Germain and is one of the wealthiest footballers in the world. Neymar, the magician or show-bot, has played for three clubs in his football career so far. Starting his professional career in 2003, he played in the senior team of Brazil’s Santos FC for about eight years. In 2013, the Spanish club signed Neymar in a $64 million deal. The Brazilian dribbler’s extraordinary skills for four seasons at FC Barcelona amazed the world. It was at FC Barcelona where Neymar’s career skyrocketed because people saw him as the next big player after Messi and Ronaldo. However, in 2017, PSG bought Neymar from FC Barcelona in a record-breaking deal worth $222 million. Neymar has been playing for the French club since 2017 and has won eight trophies in just four seasons.

Player’s nameNeymar Da Silva Santos Júnior
Age30 as of 2023
Current ClubParis Saint Germain F.C. (PSG)
Career Appearance699
Career Goals440
Career Assists192
Endorsements/SponsorshipsPuma, Triller, Netflix, and more

Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Junior (Known as Tom Brady)

The Californian legend has led his former team New England Patriots, to win 6 Super bowls (National Football League championship). Brady has led the Patriots to all of their World Championships and who are now tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers in terms of the most number of Super Bowls won. Later in 2020, he signed a $50 million contract with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won another Super bowl, thus winning a total of 7 Super bowls. Moreover, he is the only football player to make it to the team of the decade two times (in the 2000s and 2010s).

Player’s nameTom Brady
Age44 as of 2023
Current teamTampa Bay Buccaneers
Career Attempts11317
Career Passing Completion6890
Career Touchdown624
Endorsements/SponsorshipsHertz Global Holdings, IWC Schaffhausen, Under Armour, and more

John Matthew Stafford (known as Matthew Stafford)

The American quarterback born in Tampa, Florida, recently made it on the Forbes list of Top 50 highest-paid athletes. He started his professional football career as an All-American. Before that, he used to play for his college football team in Georgia. Little did Mathew know he’d be the fastest NFL player to reach 40,000 passing yards. He has also set a record for the “most passing yards in the first 100 games”. Stafford’s contract with the Rams was just for a year in 2021. However, he got a gigantic 4-year contract extension after leading his team to win the Super Bowl last year.

Player’s nameJohn Mathew Stafford
Age34 as of 2023
Current teamLos Angeles Rams
Career Attempts7202
Career Passing Completion4302
Career Touchdown337
Endorsements/SponsorshipsPanini, Walt Disney, AT&T, and Fanatics

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Aaron Charles Rodgers

The Californian star quarterback Aaron Charles Rodgers is undoubtedly one of the greatest players. The football player is a four-time NFL most valuable player and a Super Bowl XLV (2011) champion. Rodgers recently signed a contract extension and is expected to receive $150.8 Million by the end of 2024.

Player’s nameAaron Charles Rodgers
Age38 as of 2023
Current teamGreen Bay Packers
Career Attempts7188
Career Passing Completion4298
Career Touchdown456
Endorsements/SponsorshipsBose, Panini, Adidas, Zenith, and more

Josh Patrick Allen

Another Californian young star, Joshua Patrick Allen, is currently the highest-earning player of the Buffalo Bills. After he won the Most Valuable Award in college, he was drafted in the first round by Buffalo Bills in 2018. Although he had inconsistent play in the first two years of his career, Allen performed extraordinarily well in 2020, leading his team to their first division title and victory in the playoffs since 1995. In 2021, Joshua Patrick was ranked 10th in the NFL’s top 100 players. Allen signed a six-year contract worth $258 Million, which will expire in 2027.

Player’s nameJosh Patrick Allen
Age26 as of 2023
Current teamBuffalo Bills
Career Attempts2,421
Career Passing Completion1,245
Career Touchdown135
Endorsements/SponsorshipsPepsiCo, Nike, Anheuser-Busch, and more

Derrick Deshaun Watson

One of the highest-earning football players, Derrick Deshaun Watson, received a five-year contract of $230 million. He plays for the Cleveland Browns.

The entire 2021 season was dull for Watson when he played as the quarterback with his former team, the Texans’ management. Watson started his NFL journey in 2017 with the Texans, but before that, he broke many state records when playing football for Gainseville High School. He also won Davey O’Brien Award in 2015 for being the best college quarterback. He finished his college career with approx. 10,000 passing yards and 90 touchdowns.

Player’s nameDerrick Deshaun Watson
Age26 as of 2023
Current teamCleveland Browns
Career Attempts2,055
Career Passing Completion1186
Career Touchdown122

We hope this article will provide insight into the richest footballers in the world. The total average earnings for the top 18 footballers is approx. $60 Million, with an average endorsement amount of approx. $20 Million. All the players in the list above once started with record-breaking deals and huge contracts, but now because of their performance, fan-following, and all the other things combined, it seems like those record-breaking deals are their base price in today’s date. Therefore, it is safe to say that we will be seeing, even more, skyrocketing deals in the future.

Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Lavon Mahomes II is the central quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. Currently, he is the highest-paid player on the team. His father, Pat Mahomes I, was a famous major league baseball pitcher. Patrick Mahomes holds the record for the most touchdown passes in a season (50). Here are a few stats related to the football player:

  • Age: 26 as of 2023
  • Salary: $29.1 million per year (Estimated)
  • Endorsements: $20 million per year
  • Endorsements/Sponsorships: Grocery store chain H-E-B, Rolex, and Snickers
  • Career Appearance: 63
  • Career Passes: 1,550
  • Country: USA
  • Current Club: Kansas City Chiefs

Kirk Cousins

Kirk Daniel Cousins plays as an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at Michigan State. Cousins made his debut in 2012 for the Washington Redskins. The first 3 seasons of his career didn’t go well, and he was not regular in the team. But, since 2015, he got regular chances and was prolific. Cousins was named to the 2017 Pro Bowl. He is ranked third all-time in completion percentage with at least 1500 pass attempts. Here are some stats about the player:

  • Age: 33 as of 2023
  • Salary: $46 million per year
  • Endorsements: $2.5 million per year
  • Endorsements/Sponsorships: Adidas, Dapper Labs, Honda Motor, Hy-Vee, Panini, PLB Sports & Entertainment, Sleep Number, Verizon Communications
  • Career Appearance: 129
  • Career Passes: 2285
  • Country: USA
  • Current Club: Minnesota Vikings

Mohammad Salah Ghaly (Known as Mo Salah)

The Egyptian legend who plays for Liverpool is currently one of the best strikers in the world. The three-time Premier League Golden Boot winner is also in excellent form this season, as he has already scored 31 goals.

Mohamed Salah started his professional football career in 2010, playing for the Egyptian football club Al Mokawloon. Later, in 2012, he joined the Swiss club, Basel. After winning the league twice with Basel, he joined Chelsea in 2014. In his two-year career at Chelsea, he was loaned twice to Fiorentina and Roma. His great performance at Roma as a lined player made the team buy him from Chelsea in 2016. After playing for one season at Roma, Liverpool bought Mo Salah in 2017 for $44 million. Md Salah’s performance has only grown. At Liverpool as the striker, he played a crucial role in Liverpool’s 2019 Champions League win.

Player’s nameMohammad Salah Ghaly
Age30 as of 2023
Current ClubLiverpool F.C.
Career Appearance505
Career Goals233
Career Assists116
Endorsements/SponsorshipsAdidas, Pepsi, Vodafone

Kylian Mbappé Lottin

The 23-year-old world champion, Kylian Mbappé, has achieved almost everything that football players dream of. This remarkable young talent made his professional football debut at the age of 16 in Ligue 1 club Monaco in 2015. The French player showed an outstanding performance at Monaco and caught the eyes of many world-class clubs. In 2017, impressed by Mbappé’s promising talent, PSG bought him from Monaco. Kylian Mbappé is still playing for PSG and will be there for at least three more years.

Player’s nameKylian Mbappé
Age23 as of 2023
Current ClubParis Saint Germain F.C. (PSG)
Career Appearance361
Career Goals241
Career Assists102
Endorsements/SponsorshipsHublot, Nike, and more

Player’s Stats from NFL and Goal.

Are you a cricket fan? Test your cricket knowledge by playing Cricket Trump cards online on Zupee. Trump Cards Mania is a 2-player game where you challenge your opponent with a stat and win the round by having a higher stat. The player who earns maximum points wins the game and stands a CHANCE TO WIN up to 10 Lakhs! Click on the “Download App” button and start playing games on Zupee.

Who is the richest Footballer in the world – FAQs

Who is the richest football player in the world?

According to Forbes 2022 rankings, Lionel Messi is the richest footballer/soccer player. His total earnings are approx. $130 Million. Look at this article to learn about the top 18 richest football players.

Who is the god of Football?

Pelé is regarded as the god of football. Look at this article to know why Pelé is the god of football.

Who is the richest American football player?

Tom Brandy is the richest American football player in 2023.

Who is the richest Messi or Ronaldo?

According to Forbes ranking, Messi is the richest football player in the world.