Top 10 Highest Paid Soccer Players Worldwide | 2025 Ranking

Soccer is one of the richest sports in the world and Soccer Players are paid a hefty amount of money to play for their teams. Playing for Elite Clubs also brings annual salary raises for these soccer players. Apart from it, they also earn a huge sum of money through advertisements for top brands. Here is the list of Top 10 Highest Paid Soccer Players.

[su_note note_color=”#ffee53″ text_color=”#000000″ radius=”8″]List of Highest Paid Soccer Players In 2023[/su_note]

From Lionel Messi to David De Gea many Star Soccer players remained the highest Paid soccer player this year. They stunned soccer fans with their amazing soccer skills, speed, and goal-scoring abilities.

Also, they changed the course of many soccer games with their match-winning performances. In return, they received a huge amount of money in terms of salaries, bonuses and brand endorsements from their clubs and Sponsors. Here is the list of Top 10 Highest Paid Soccer Players in 2023.

1. Lionel Messi – $130 Million

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• Salary & Bonus: $97 Million
  
• Endorsements: $33 Million

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PSG and Argentina’s Star Football player Lionel Messi is the highest-paid soccer player in 2023. After winning six Ballon d’Or awards with Barcelona, he left the Spanish football club to join Paris Saint Germain.

The two-year annual contract allowed him to bag a $97 million salary contract from PSG. Not only this, but Leo Messi also earned an extra $33 Million from his brand endorsements deals. He also renewed his endorsement deal with Adidas to add more money to his income last year.

Check > > > Lionel Messi Net Worth

Leo Messi is managed by agent Guillermo Marin. His recent success in Soccer tournaments has also allowed him to sign endorsement contracts with many top brands. His endorsed brand list includes Tata Motors, Huawei Technologies, Gatorade, and Adidas. With an annual income of $130 Million this year, Lionel Messi remains the highest-paid soccer in 2023.

Moreover, Messi’s annual income is also expected to increase if he becomes a permanent player for the Paris Saint-Germain. PSG has already agreed to pay him $100 Million if he chooses to stay, but it remains unclear whether or whether not he will permanently stay with the club.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo – $120 Million

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• Salary & Bonus: $70 Million
  
• Endorsements: $50 Million

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One of the greatest football players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo is also one of the highest-paid soccer players in the world right now. After debuting for Sporting CP in 2002, he remains a football sensation for millions of soccer fans in the world. His versatile attacking skills, speed, and delivery skills have already made him the most followed Football Player on Instagram.

After playing three years for Juventus from 2018 to 2021, he recently rejoined his first Premier League club Manchester United. Apart from receiving an annual salary of $30 Million, his total income reached a staggering amount of $120 Million. Not only this, but he has also made a lifetime deal with Nike for $1billion.

Check > > > Cristiano Ronaldo Net Worth

But this is not the only source of income for the best football player in the world. He also has his own clothing, fragrance brands, and hotel chains. With such a huge annual income, Cristiano Ronaldo is definitely the 2nd highest-paid soccer player in the world. And for this, he also earns his name to be included on our list.

3. Neymar – $95 Million

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• Salary & Bonus: $76 Million
  
• Endorsements: $19 Million

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Brazilian footballer Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior is the third highest-paid soccer player in the world right now. He made a huge fortune from his Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain transfer deal. As per reports, he received €222 million from this transfer deal which made him the most expensive player ever.

Apart from it, Neymar also received $90 Million in terms of salaries alone this year, making him one of the highest-paid soccer players in 2023.

Neymar received $76 Million from PSG this year and he also earned an extra $19 million from his brand endorsement deals. Currently, he is endorsing some biggest brands such as Red Bull, Nike, Gillette, Panasonic, and Beats Electronics.

You can say that his agent Wagner Ribeiro is doing his job right by looking at Neymar’s annual income. Surprisingly, Neymar also became the first soccer player to have his own custom-made Jordanian Sneakers Designed by Swoosh. With such a handsome annual income, Neymar Jr also ranks 3rd on the list of highest-paid soccer players in 2023.

4. Kylian Mbappe – $42 Million

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• Salary & Bonus: $28 Million
• Endorsements: $14 Million

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Monaco to Paris Saint Germain Transfer deal in 2018 worth off  €180 million-plus add ons made Kylian Mbappe the second most expensive player and the most expensive Teenager at the same time. In 2023, he is also among one of the highest-paid Soccer players in the world with his enormous $42 million total annual income.

Kylian Mbappe became a star at the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia. He caught the eyes of the football critics and also joined the Richest Soccer Players list. Mbappe received an annual income of $20 Million from PSG this year. Apart from it, a Performance bonus of $8 million was also paid to him by his club.

Not only this, but Kylian Mbappe has also signed multiple brand endorsement deals with giant companies. One Such brand, The LEgednary Watch Maker, Hublot, announced him as their brand ambassador. Apart from it, he has also signed advertisement deals with Popular clothing and shoe brand Nike.

The massive annual income of Kylian Mbappe allows him to enter his name on our list of highest-paid Soccer Players in the world right now.

5. Mohamed Salah – $37 Million

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• Salary & Bonus: $24 Million
• Endorsements: $13 Million

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Egyptian Football Star Mohammed Salah is the 5th highest-paid Soccer Player in the world right now. His performance in Switzerland made the headline and he caught the attention of Chelsea in 2014 who signed him for a reported fee of £11 million. In 2017, he left Roma to join Liverpool for a transfer fee of £36.9 million.

As per reports, Salah received a total of $24 Million from Liverpool this year in terms of salaries and bonuses. After gaining success in Soccer, Mohammed Salah also signed various sponsorship deals with popular brands. As per reports, his advertisement deal with Vodaphone allowed him to grab $13 Million worth off other deals.

Salah was praised for collaborating with Vodaphone for bringing digital awareness to his country. Also, he recently became the face of Adidas’ Retro Range Color. The Egyptian Football Kings also earns his name on our list of highest-paid soccer players in 2023 with his astonishing annual income.

6. Paul Pogba – $34 Million

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• Salary & Bonus: $28 Million
• Endorsements: $6 Million

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French Football Sensation Paul Pogba is the sixth highest-paid soccer player in the world. He made his return to Manchester United in 2016 from Juventus for a record then-world record transfer fee of £89.3 million. As per reports, Paula Pogba’s annual income reached a staggering amount of $34 Million this year.

Pogba received $28 Million from Manchester United in terms of annual salary and bonuses. Not only this, but he also made another extra $6 Million from sponsorship deals with Pepsi and Activision. He has also signed brand endorsement deals with the popular clothing brand Adidas.

As per reports, Paul Pogba also made a handsome amount of money in terms of salaries and brand endorsements. Therefore, he deserves his name to be on our list of highest-paid soccer players in 2023.

7. Antoine Griezmann – $33 Million

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• Salary & Bonus: $28 Million
• Endorsements: $5 Million

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Another popular French Professional Footballer Antoine Griezman becomes the seventh highest-paid soccer player on our list. He joined Atletico Madrid for a club-record fee of €30 million. His transfer from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona in 2019 worth €120 million made him the fifth most expensive player of all time. As per reports, the total annual income of Antoine Griezmann marked $33 Million this year.

Greizmann made $28 million this year from Barcelona in terms of salaries and bonuses. He also earned an extra $5 Million from Advertisement and brand endorsement deals. He has made advertisement deals with Huawei and Puma.

Apart from being one of the best forwards in football, Greizmann is also a game geek. He recently launched his own eSport game with his brother called Grizi eSports. His multiple income sources have enabled him to join our list of highest-paid soccer players in the world right now.

8. Gareth Bale – $29 Million

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• Salary & Bonus: $23 Million
• Endorsements: $6 Million

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Welsh Professional Footballer Gareth Bale is the eighth highest-paid soccer player in the world right now. His Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid transfer deal in 2013 made a world record for its €100.8 million worth. As per reports, the total annual income of Gareth Bale reached a staggering amount of $29 Million.

Bale received $23 Million from Real Madrid in terms of Salaries and bonuses. He also earned another extra $6 Million from his brand endorsements. As per reports, he is in a sponsorship contract with Adidas currently. But, he is making enormous efforts to get his advertisement deals done with some European Companies.

Bale was reportedly seen advocating for the Taylormade products on his social media accounts recently. Nevertheless, Gareth Bale earned a good livelihood and he joins our list of highest-paid soccer players in 2023 at the 8th spot.

9. Robert Lewandowski – $28 Million

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• Salary & Bonus: $24 Million
• Endorsements: $4 Million

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Polish Professional Footballer Robert Lewandowski is the ninth highest-paid soccer player this year on our list. In 2010, he joined Borussia Dortmund for a four-year contract worth €4.5 million. As per reports, Robert Lewandowski made a total income of $28 Million this year.

Bayern Munich paid $24 to Robert Lewandowski this year in terms of salaries and bonuses. He also earned $4 Million from Brand endorsements. Lewandowski’s five goals in six minutes is one of the few unbreakable records in football history.

With his $28 Million income this year, he also remains the highest-paid Polish Football player in the world in 2023. He is one of the most popular football players on TikTok with a fanbase of 3 Million TikTok fans.

Above all, Robert Lewandowski is one of the highest-paid soccer players in 2023. He joins our list for this feat.

10. David De Gea – $27 Million

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• Salary & Bonus: $24 Million
• Endorsements: $3 Million

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Finally, Spanish Professional Football Player David De Gea makes the last spot on our list. He is the 10th highest-paid soccer player in the world right now. De Gea made headlines for his transfer from Atletico Madrid to Manchester United which had a reported worth of £18.9 million. In 2023, he is also among the richest Soccer Players with a total annual income of $27 Million.

David De Gea received $24 Million in terms of salaries and bonuses from Manchester United. He made an extra $3 Million from brand endorsement. With such huge earning, he is also the highest-paid goalkeeper in 2023.

Adidas launched special pairs of gloves to mark the 100th appearance of De Gea wearing Adidas gloves. His sponsorship deal with Adidas also allowed him to grab other brand endorsement projects. He now frequently appears in popular drink brand Pepsi cola.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the highest-paid footballer in the world in 2023?

FC Barcelona and Argentina’s football king Lionel Messi is the highest-paid footballer in the world in 2023. He received $97 Million in terms of salaries and bonuses from Barcelona this year. Messi also made an extra $33 Million from various brand endorsements.

Which footballer has the highest wage?

As of 2023, Lionel Messi has the highest wage as a Soccer Player. He receives an annual income of $97 Million from his football club FC Bareclona. Messi also makes extra money from brand endorsements as well.

Conclusion

So here is our list. Which highest-paid soccer player should also be listed on our list? Please let us know in the comment box.