Richest Footballers In The World In 2022

For decades football has been the most popular sport in the world, and it is a known fact that the best players make a lot of money thanks to their talent and effort. In fact, football players are currently some of the highest-paid athletes on the globe, and the money that spins around them is owed a lot to the hype behind the leading tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup that get the attention of billions of fans. Besides their lucrative contracts with famous teams, the top players also benefit from brand sponsorships, broadcasting rights across different leagues, and other sources of income. The list of the riches football players in 2022 is full of premium sportsmen, so let’s check it out: 

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of today’s greatest football icons, and due to his outstanding accuracy and incredible speed, he is constantly sought after by the best teams in the world, even at the age of 37. And not only that – Ronaldo is also one of the stars of Instagram with the largest fanbase that counts more than 500 million followers. The total yearly earnings of Cristiano Ronaldo amount to $115 million, and according to Irishluck’s survey, his estimated net worth stands at around $460 million. Moreover, he is still a widespread attraction among famous brands, and he is expected to make another $65 million in endorsements from the contracts signed with Nike, Livescore, Armani, Herbalife, and others. After a long and fruitful career in some of the top European clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester United, Ronaldo received a generous $225 million offer from Riyadh-based club Al Nassr. The financial success of Cristiano Ronaldo is surely backed by his impeccable performance on the field, as he is the world’s highest goalscorer with more than 110 international goals, and the five-times winner of the Ballon d’Or, the highest individual honour in football. 

Lionel Messi

Many football connoisseurs from different corners of the world will claim firmly that Lionel Messi is the greatest football player on the planet, and with seven Ballon d’Or rewards won so far, his success is there to confirm such claims. For years Messi has been the main star of both FC Barcelona and the Argentine national team, and he continued to pave his way in Paris Saint-Germain as of 2021. In 2022, Messi earned $120 million, and a large chunk of it comes from the contract he signed with PSG. However, Lionel Messi is another brand magnet among footballers, and he is estimated to earn more than $55 million from partnerships with different companies including Mastercard, Adidas, Pepsi, Budweiser, and others. At the moment, he is one of the six billionaire athletes on the globe, with $1.15 billion as the total earnings in his career. Messi plays as a forward, and when it comes to La Liga history, he is the highest scorer with a total of 474 goals. As for his entire senior career, Messi scored more than 785 goals. In 2020, he was the first football player who was awarded the Laureus Award for the Best Sportsman of the Year.

Kylian Mbappe

The estimated on-field earnings of the young French striker Kylian Mbappe are now $110 million, and according to Forbes, he is expected to be one of the world’s best-paid players in the following season. When it comes to endorsements from famous brands, Mbappe is affiliated with Dior, Nike, Oakley, Hublot, and Panini, which is supposed to bring him $18 million in revenue. As a forward of Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1), Mbappe is known for excellent skills in dribbling, finishing, and speed. His professional career started in League 1 Monaco when he was only 16, and when he transferred to PSG for the price of almost $198 million which made him the most expensive teenage footballer of all time. By now he has already appeared in two FIFA World Cups and he is currently the highest goal scorer for the country’s national team when it comes to this great tournament. In 2018, Mbappe earned the title of the youngest French goalscorer in the history of the World Cup. He was also the second teenager after Pelé to score two goals in a World Cup match, and also the second one to score a goal in the finale. 

Neymar Jr.

When Neymar Jr. ended his contract wight Barcelona and continued his career with Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, the $263 million deal made him the key figure of the most expensive football transfer in history. In 2022, his earnings for the club reached the amount of $70 million, and his popularity continues to attract a number of famous businesses and brands. Thanks to lucrative partnerships with companies like Red Bull and Puma, Neymar’s off-field earnings are estimated to be around $32 million. High earnings have made an impact on Neymar’s lifestyle which is known to be lavish, as the footballer is a great fan of private jets, yachts, fancy cars, and other luxurious items. The Brazilian football star also took part in the latest FIFA World Cup event. However, he suffered an injury during the course of the first match and he was unable to contribute to the following games. 

Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah is considered one of the greatest African footballers, and he has made tremendous success during his career in the Premier League Liverpool. So far, he has won a league title, an English Super Cup, an English FA Cup, a UEFA Super Cup and the Champions League, as well as a FIFA World Cup. During his time at FC Basel which ended in 2014, Salah was a two-time Swiss Super League champion. His 2017 transfer to Liverpool came with a cost of $44 million, and in 2022, he signed a new contract with the club which made him their highest-paid player. Namely, Liverpool is paying Salah around $423,000 per week, which is expected to set his on-field earnings for the following season at $35 million. On top of that, Salah is also one of the biggest promoters of Adidas, and endorsements were particularly affected by his immense popularity, especially in the Arab world, as well as in Africa. That is why Salah’s off-the-field earnings are expected to reach $18 million. 

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Erling Haaland

The Norwegian Erling Haaland is the son of Alfie Haaland – a famous Premier League footballer. During his early years, he played in Norwegian and Austrian leagues, winning the Austrian Bundesliga during his time in Red Bull Salzburg. Halaand’s career continued in Borussia Dortmund where he transferred in 2020, and thanks to his speed, talent and strength, he was one of the key players that contributed to the team winning the German Cup in season 2020/21. However, Haaland’s best days started in 2022 when he joined the Premier League club Manchester City after a $62 million transfer. In less than ten games he became known as one of the greatest names in the League. He is now the first footballer in the history of the league who scored three hat-tricks in a row in home games, and he is expected to be the main goal scorer in season 2022/23. The base earnings of Erling Haaland come from his on-field salary which stands at $35 million. In addition to that, the off-field earnings that come from partnerships with brands like Nike, Samsung and Viaplay amount to $4 million. However, as his career continues its rise, future partnerships are projected to bring much more substantial endorsements. 

Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski is a great example of a football who was gradually building his career by starting in lower leagues. Since he wasn’t an immediate sensation like some other players listed above, Lewandowski spent the first few senior years in lesser-known Polish leagues, until he joined the country’s famous club Lech Poznan in 2008. After he won the Polish Cup with Lech Poznan in 2010, Borussia Dortmund spotted him and they signed a contract in the same year. And after four seasons, Lewandowski joined Bayern Munich where he became one of the best goalscorers in the league. He now plays for Barcelona, and the cost of his acquisition was around $45 million. Lewandowski’s on-field salary stands at $27 million per year, but that is not all the income he makes. This talented Pole is a promoter of Nike and 4F, and also has his own clothing line known as RL9. Thanks to all the side businesses, he makes another $8 million off-field. The footballer was also a brand ambassador of Huawei since 2015, but he ended the partnership in early 2022, which cost him approximately $5 million in earnings. 

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Playing in the top football leagues is one of the most financially rewarding careers a sportsperson can choose, and thanks to the rise of social media, the earnings of the top players are also boosted by fruitful brand partnerships. That is why it was fun to take a look at the stats behind some of the world’s richest footballers in 2022 and see just how lucrative their careers are, both on and off the field.

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