Football is one of the most lucrative sports in the world, with stakeholders spending and generating revenues worth millions of dollars on a yearly and seasonal basis.
Organizers, clubs and, by extension, footballers enjoy the largess that swims in and around football economically. Football players are the main protagonists in the sport; they put in the time, dedication, sweat, energy and sacrifice.
Even though they earn the best numbers in salaries and bonuses, more money now comes in for footballers from image rights, sponsorship, and more. Football, or soccer, depending on where you are from in the world, is more than just a global sport; it’s a lucrative industry that has turned its top players into multimillionaires.
These athletes not only earn from their substantial club salaries but also from endorsement deals, personal investments, and business ventures. These players are some of the best in the sport, making their wealth well-deserved. These are the top players that you’d be likely to use a ₹500 no deposit bonus on at online casinos with sportsbooks.
With how companies and brands scramble for the biggest footballers, it becomes difficult to evaluate the richest of them in football at the moment.
That’s why, in this article, we take a look at the top ten richest footballers in 2024, taking into consideration multiple brand sponsorships, contract details, total net worth, and, in some rare cases, inherited riches.
1. Faiq Bolkiah
- Club: Ratchaburi
- Country: Brunei
- Worth: £16 billion
We start with the wealthiest player that nobody could have ever guessed. Faiq Bolkiah is a footballer whose riches abound even before he became a professional.
He is one of the soccer players who grew up rich.
His wealth Is incomparable to that of the most famous football stars, Messi and Ronaldo. Bolkiah’s rich background constitutes the most significant percentage of his worth.
For an introduction, Bolkiah is a member of the family of the Sultan of Brunei; in fact, he is a direct nephew of the Sultan. If it’s for the sake of earning pay, Bolkiah wouldn’t even need to work or play football to live decently.
In fact, he only plays for fun, and that may be why he hasn’t been that successful in the sport. If money is subtracted, he would be far from the rest of the names on the list.
2. Lionel Messi
- Club: Inter Miami
- Country: Argentina
- Worth: £516 million
It’s always going to be between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in any football discussion surrounding excellence, and these two have gathered a lot of wealth to match their excellence.
Lionel Messi has built generational wealth from football over the years, and if he had a rich background, he would have been above Bolkiah or rivaled him.
In over two decades, he’s been one of the top earners in football; he then went to PSG before going to MLS for more money.
In addition to his contractual numbers, Messi earns a huge deal from brand endorsements and image rights, which are estimated to be worth around £516M. Many organizations wouldn’t mind doing all they can to have one of the greatest of all time on their brand.
Messi’s wealth comes not only from his player salary at Inter Miami, which is reportedly around $50 million annually, but also from his numerous endorsement deals with brands like Adidas, Pepsi, and MasterCard. Additionally, Messi has invested in real estate and other business ventures, further enhancing this playmaker’s financial portfolio.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo
- Club: Al-Nassr
- Country: Portugal
- Worth: £476 million
Ronaldo is closer to Lionel Messi in terms of worth from salaries and endorsement deals, even though he’s rated at around £476 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a long-term rival of Lionel Messi on and off the pitch. Ronaldo’s contractual salaries are usually in the same range as Messi’s, but the Portuguese also enjoy good body features, which also make him attractive to brands.
Cristiano Ronaldo is also the highest-paid footballer in the world based on football salary alone. His contract with Al-Nassr, which was signed in January 2023 in the Saudi Pro League, is unprecedented. That contract is worth £173 million annually, and when you consider other conglomerates, he’s built for himself in different businesses.
One of the best right-footed players in the world, Ronaldo’s earnings from his soccer career have been stupendous, but it is his off-field ventures that truly stand out. He has lucrative endorsements with Nike, Herbalife, and Clear, among others. Ronaldo also capitalizes on his popularity through his CR7 brand, which includes clothing, underwear, and fragrances. Beyond business, he owns a luxury hotel chain, adding a significant chunk to his net worth.
4. Neymar
- Club: Al-Hilal
- Country: Brazil
- Worth: £198 million
Neymar is the third-best player of his generation and has had to be behind the two GOATs for the last couple of years. Expectedly, he’s fourth on this list behind the duo of Ronaldo and Messi.
Neymar is one of the greatest Brazilian footballers ever, and he has enjoyed the luxuries that come with being a star in the current generation of football.
From Barcelona to PSG and now Al Hilal, Neymar has always enjoyed financial success. At age 32, he is worth around £200 million. His personality and lifestyle have also helped him earn sponsorship deals and more.
5. Kylian Mbappe
- Club: Paris Saint-Germain
- Country: France
- Worth: £143 million
Kylian Mbappe may be one of the youngest players on this list, but for someone who made his senior team debut at sixteen, Mbappe has made a name and money.
The 25-year-old has brands lining up for his signature since his first FIFA World Cup final in 2018. He may be worth around £100M currently, but his worth will definitely rise with a potential move to Real Madrid on the cards in the summer.
Last summer, PSG and clubs in Saudi Arabia offered some of the biggest numbers for the French man. Once Lionel Messi and Ronaldo retire, there’s no argument about him being the richest active footballer. Apart from partnering with brands such as Nike, he’s also appeared on the front cover of FIFA games.
6. Paul Pogba
- Club: Juventus
- Country: France
- Worth: £99 million
Paul Pogba may be controversial, forgotten, and currently banned from playing football. However, he’s not banned from making money.
Pogba is one football with a lot of publicity, both positive and negative, and as such, he has attracted the biggest brands, which consider him one of the most marketable players.
During his return to Manchester United, Pogba enjoyed the most attention, especially after becoming the most expensive Premier League signing ever at the time in 2016.
He’s accumulated enough wealth to maintain this respectable number on the list still.
7. Antoine Griezmann
- Club: Atletico Madrid
- Country: France
- Worth: £71 million
If you are surprised to see this French man and the list, then the popular belief that he is one of the most underrated players in football is probably correct.
Euro 2016 was Griezmann’s iconic competition, one where he was one of France’s star players. He rose to prominence immediately after, and his value rose immediately.
His time at Barcelona may be underwhelming, but he is still worth a respectable £70M.
8. Mohamed Salah
- Club: Liverpool
- Country: Egypt
- Worth: £71 million
Mohammed Salah is Africa’s biggest star currently and one of the Premier League’s richest players.
The 31-year-old has always been in big deals, from Chelsea to Roma and now to Liverpool. His actual worth was revealed when he was tempted with a mega-money move to Saudi Arabia in 2023.
He could have been the top three earners from football if he had moved, but even without that, Salah enjoys a lot of sponsorship deals from a popular soda drink giant, which Messi is on as well, plus being the face of many Egyptian brands.
9. Robert Lewandowski
- Club: Barcelona
- Country: Poland
- Worth: £67 million
Robert Lewandowski was the biggest name in the Bundesliga for a long time before he moved to La Liga.
By the time he switched to La Liga, moving from Bayern Munich to Barcelona in 2022, he was already more than a Polish icon but was rated one of the best strikers in history.
He may be 35 years old, but his longevity has enabled him to amass wealth, which currently stands at £67 million. Recognised as one of the top strikers in the world, he is also amongst the richest footballers in the planet.
Lewandowski has endorsements with several tech companies and one of the two biggest sports fashion brands in the world.
10. David de Gea
- Club: None
- Country: Spain
- Worth: £60 million
David de Gea may have been clubless for months, but he is still worth well around £60 million, scrapping into the top ten list, at least for now.
In his prime, David de Gea was one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
The Spanish goalkeeper was released by Manchester United when his contract expired at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. Although there have been rumors of interest from everywhere, nothing concrete has come for one of the best keepers of this generation.
