The Top 10 Highest Paid Soccer Players In The World (2024)

Author

Daniel Pena is The Founder of The Art of Football Blog

Intro

A couple of days ago, Kylian Mbappe signed a 5-year contract with Real Madrid that was worth €15 Million ($16.2 Million) per year after taxes, as well as a €150 Million ($163 Million) bonus. Mbappe’s new contract will make him the highest-paid soccer player in the world, and highest paid athlete in all of sports, even above some of the best players of all time, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But, how does his new payday compare to other top players? That is exactly what I will be covering in today's blog post.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Who Are The Highest Paid Soccer Players?

Elite soccer players are among the highest-paid athletes in all of sports. In fact, the three highest-paid athletes in 2023 were all soccer players.

From all of the professional soccer leagues around the world, the most popular ones are usually the ones with the highest-paid players, and they are all based in Europe: The English Premier League, the Spanish La Liga, the German Bundesliga, the Italian Serie A, and the French Ligue 1.

However, in recent years, less popular leagues, such as the Saudi League and Major League Soccer, have been able to attract some of the biggest soccer superstars in the world with creative structures. For example, Lionel Messi's agreement with Inter Miami was full of corporate partnerships. For this reason, Europe's stronghold on soccer talent is slowly going away. 

This list of the highest-paid soccer players includes one player from La Liga, four players from the Saudi League, one player from Major League Soccer, three players from the Premier League, and one player from the Bundesliga. With that said, enjoy the list! 

Kylian Mbappe

1. Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid: $264 Million

​On-field earnings: $244 Million 
Off-field earnings: $20 Million 

2. Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr : $260 Million

​On-field earnings: $200 Million 
Off-field earnings: $60 Million 

3. Lionel Messi, Inter Miami: $135 Million

​On-field earnings: $65 Million
Off-field earnings: $70 Million 

4. Neymar Jr, Al Hilal: $112 Million

​On-field earnings: $80 Million
Off-field earnings: $32 Million 

5. Karim Benzema, Al Ittihad: $106 Million

​On-field earnings: $100 Million 
Off-field earnings:  $6 Million 

6. Erling Haaland, Manchester City: $58 Million

​On-field earnings: $46 Million
Off-field earnings: $12 Million 

7. Mohammed Salah, Liverpool: $53 Million

​On-field earnings: $35 Million
Off-field earnings:  $18 Million

8. Sadio Mane, Al Nassr: $52 Million

​On-field earnings: $48 Million 
Off-field earnings: $4 Million 

9. Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City: $39 Million

​On-field earnings: $35 Million 
Off-field earnings: $4 Million 

10. Harry Kane, Bayern Munich: 36 Million

​On-field earnings: $26 Million 
Off-field earnings: $10 Million 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do professional soccer players earn money?

Professional soccer players make money in a variety of ways and the amount they earn will differ from player to player and is based on several factors.
​
●      Money from their contract with their club for the season
●      Performance bonuses
●      Endorsement deals
●      Transfer fees
●      Prize money
●      Social Media and personal branding

How much money, on average, do players in the top five soccer leagues around the world make?

​These are the average salaries for players in Europe’s top 5 leagues. This number will of course vary from player to player with some making far more and some making far less.
 
●      England’s Premier League (3.8 Million)
●      Spain’s La Liga ($2.2 million)
●      Germany's Bundesliga ($1.9 million)
●      Italy's Serie A ($1.8 million)
●      France's Ligue 1 ($1.5 million)

Final Thoughts

​In conclusion, soccer players are some of the highest-paid athletes in all of sports. In 2024 the highest-paid soccer player, as well as in all other sports, is Kylian Mbappe whose new contract with Real Madrid puts him above last year’s highest-paid athlete, and Mbappe’s idol, Cristiano Ronaldo.
 
For more soccer related content, check out The Art of Football Blog. 

​For our favorite soccer reads, check out our list here.