Some of global icons have long controlled the top of the soccer world, both on and off the field. Let’s examine how the Top-Earners generate their income.
This year, the top 10 soccer stars will earn an estimated $625 million before taxes, with endorsements accounting for 33% of the total. They were born in eight different nations and are members of eight different clubs.
How the Top-Earning Soccer Players Make Their Money
The salaries at the top of the table are staggering, but there is a huge drop after the first four players. Only the big four are expected to earn more than $30 million in salary. In the NBA, more than 40 players are expected to make an impact next season.
The Top Soccer Earners 2022–2023
1. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain): $125 million Salary/bonus: $105 million; Endorsements: $20 million; Age: 23 Due to the fact that his contract had already expired and moving to Real Madrid would have been a free transfer, Mbappé had more negotiating power. The Frenchman's transfer to PSG would cost $200 million in 2021, according to the Spanish club's offer.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United): $113 millionSalary/bonus: $53 million; Endorsements: $60 million; Age: 37Along with his endorsement deals, Ronaldo's CR7 brand is featured on eyewear, footwear, fragrances, underwear, hotels, and gyms. He currently holds the Champions League records for most appearances (187), goals (141), and assists (42) made.
3. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain): $110 million
Salary/bonus: $62 million; Endorsements: $48 million; Age: 35
Messi is the third most followed Instagram user after Kylie Jenner and Ronaldo. In addition to Adidas, Budweiser, Mastercard, PepsiCo, and at least ten other sponsors, he added an eight-figure deal with Socios to his sponsor roster.
4. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain): $91 million Salary/bonus: $56 million; Endorsements: $35 million; Age: 30With over a dozen endorsement contracts under his belt, including a $10 million contract with Puma, the Brazilian striker is looking to concentrate more on equity-based deals as he approaches his 30s.
5. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): $39.5 millionSalary/bonus: $24.5 million; Endorsements: $15 million; Age: 30The Golden Boot, given annually to the Premier League's top goal scorer, was won by Salah for the third time last year. The Egyptian forward was re-signed by Liverpool in a deal worth £350,000 ($413,000) per week plus incentives.
6. Eden Hazard (Real Madrid): $31.1 millionSalary/bonus: $28.6 million; Endorsements: $2.5 million; Age: 31 The captain of the Belgian national team has had a disappointing tenure since moving to Real Madrid in 2019 for a €150 million transfer fee from Chelsea. Madrid won the Champions League in May, but Hazard never played.
7. Andrés Iniesta (Vissel Kobe): $30 million Salary/bonus: $23 million; Endorsements: $7 million; Age: 38 When Iniesta abruptly left Barcelona in 2018 to join J1 League team Vissel Kobe and later agreed to a two-year contract extension, the soccer world was shocked. While competing in Japan, he had more than ten active sponsorship deals.
8. Raheem Sterling (Chelsea): $29.4 millionSalary/bonus: $21.4 million; Endorsements: $8 million; Age: 27Chelsea and Sterling agreed to their contract in July. The weekly value of the new contract is £325,000 ($384,000). After spending his entire career playing in Nikes, he joined the Puma athlete roster in 2021.
9. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City): $29 millionSalary/bonus: $25.5 million; Endorsements: $3.5 million; Age: 31 Since joining the team in 2015, the midfielder has played a crucial role in helping Man City win four Premier League league titles. One of the first soccer players to sign with Roc Nation Sports was De Bruyne. Nike, Wow Hydrate, Credit Karma, Veo, Secret Lab, and Therabody are a few of his business partners.
Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid): $27.5 millionSalary/bonus: $22 million;Endorsements: $5.5 million; Age: 31Griezmann signed a two-year loan agreement to transfer from Barcelona to Atlético in 2021. The clause in the contract that would require Atlético to pay Barca €40 million based on his playing time last season is the source of the current argument between the two clubs.
