Cristiano Ronaldo is still at the top of the list of highest paid players in the world, as released by Forbes. The figure nicknamed CR7, who is currently defending the Saudi Arabian club, Al Nassr, receives 260 million US dollars per year. Forbes estimate the Portuguese forward makes around £164m from his club for his efforts on the field of play and another £49m from off the field ventures. Ronaldo has appeared in videos promoting the country’s National Day, and for Tyson Fury’s upcoming bout with Francis Ngannou in Riyadh.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star beat Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe who finished second, third and fourth respectively. Messi’s position in the latest Forbes data has not changed. The figure nicknamed La Pulga has been in second place for two years in a row (2022 and 2023).
According to Forbes calculations, in 2022 Messi will earn an income of 120 million US dollars. This nominal amount is divided into 65 million US dollars earned on the field and 55 million US dollars off the field thanks to sponsorship deals. In 2023, Messi’s income increase quite significantly. La Pulga earned 135 million US dollars. This amount includes 65 million dollars of his annual salary with MLS club Inter Miami. Then, the former Barcelona and PSG player made 70 million US dollars from off-field deals, thanks to his move to MLS.
Nonetheless, Messi’s income is still far below Ronaldo’s. Ronaldo’s income is almost double what Messi earns. Meanwhile Neymar, who plays at Al Hilal, “only” earned 112 million US dollars. The income of Messi’s former teammate at Barcelona and PSG is almost the same as Mbappe who earned 110 million US dollars.
List of the 11 highest paid footballers in the world in 2023:
Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr) – 260 million US dollars
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) – 135 million US dollars
Neymar (Al Hilal ) – $112 million
Kylian Mbappe (PSG) – $110 million
Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad) – $106 million
Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – $58 million
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – $53 million
Sadio Mane (Al Nassr) – $52 million
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) – $39 million
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) – $36 million
Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) – $34 million
