The most popular sport in the world is football. The sector is worth billions of dollars, and the top performers get generous compensation for their achievements.
The world’s wealthiest football players take home annual salaries of millions of dollars, and some have even earned fortunes in the billions.
Professional football players are extremely wealthy due to their high salary, endorsement deals, transfer fees, bonuses, and other sources of revenue.
Here, we examine the ten wealthiest football players globally in 2024, as determined by information from The Daily Mail and Celebrity Net Worth.
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With the most goals in international football history, Ronaldo holds the record as the top goal scorer of all time. He is frequently matched against fellow soccer legend Lionel Messi and is regarded as one of the best football players of all time.
Records: Highest goal-scorer in football and many more
Awards: European Golden Shoe, FIFA Balloon D’Or, and many more
Books: Cristiano Ronaldo: The Rise of a Winner
Movie: Cristiano Ronaldo: The World at its Feet
He holds the record with eight Ballon d’Or victories. He is the player who has received the coveted trophy the most times out of all of them. In 2020, he was included in the Ballon d’Or Dream Team, and he has also won six European Golden Shoes.
Team: Paris Saint-Germain
Records: Most Balloon D’Or award winner, Most Liga goals, and many more
Awards: World Soccer Player of the Year, FIFA Balloon D’Or, and many more
Books: The “GOAT” Messi and more
Movie: Lionel Messi: The Greatest
4. David Beckham | $480 million
A professional football player, David Beckham specialized in offensive midfield play. He was one of the most well-liked athletes in the world and is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. Beckham was a player for AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and the LA Galaxy. Six Premier League wins, one La Liga title, and one MLS Cup were among his 19 major trophy victories. Football player Beckham announced his retirement in 2013. His $450 million net worth now places him as the fourth richest football player.
Records: Only player to win League titles in 4 countries, and more
Awards: Premier League Player of the Month, BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and more
Books: Beckham: My World (autobiography)
Movie: King Arthur, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
In 2016 and 2019, he assisted Brazil in winning the Olympic gold medal and the Copa América.
Records: Youngest player to reach 100 caps for Brazil, All-time highest scorer for Santos, and many more
Awards: Balloon D’Or, FIFA Puskas, Player of the Year and many more
Books: Neymar: My Story: Conversations with My Father
Movie: Neymar: The Perfect Chao
Team: Blackburn Rovers and Crewe Alexandra
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Awards: Freedom of the Borough
Books: David Whelan: Playing to Win – The Autobiography
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7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic | $190 million
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a Swedish football player who plays forward for both the Sweden national team and AC Milan, a side in Serie A. The best striker of all time is Zlatko Ibrahimovic, who has played for AC Milan, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and LA Galaxy. Over his career, he has won 33 trophies, including one FIFA Club World Cup, five UEFA Champions League crowns, and eleven league titles. He assisted Sweden in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying.
Records: Oldest player ever to score in Serie A, Greatest Striker of All-Time, and more
Awards: Best MLS Player ESPY Award, FIFA Puskas, Golden Foot, Serie A Player of the Year, and many more
Books: I Am Zlatan Ibrahimović (autobiography)
Movie: Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (Cameo)
8. Kylian Mbappe | $180 million
French football player Kylian Mbappé is a forward for both the France national team and Paris Saint-Germain, a team in League 1. As one of the most exciting young players of his generation and one of the finest players in the world, he is highly recognized. With PSG, Mbappé has won three Coupe de France titles, two Coupe de la Ligue wins, and four Ligue 1 crowns. In Ligue 1, he also took home the Golden Boot awards in 2018–19 and 2021–2022.
Mbappé has scored 17 goals in his 21 appearances for France. In addition to being voted the FIFA World Cup’s Best Young Player, he assisted France in winning the competition.
Records: Four goals in two appearances in the FIFA World Cup finals, and more
Awards: FIFA World Cup Golden Boot, Golden Boy, Kopa Trophy, and more
Books: Kylian Mbappe: World Soccer Star and more
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9. Wayne Rooney | $170 million
Former English professional football player Wayne Rooney was a striker. He is regarded as one of the greatest players in Premier League and English history.
With Manchester United, Rooney took home 13 trophies, which included five Premier League crowns, one FIFA Club World Cup title, and one UEFA Champions League title. 2021 marked his retirement from the NFL.
Records: England’s second-most-capped player and second-highest goalscorer.
Awards: MLS Best XI, FIFPro World Young Player of the Year, and more.
Books: Wayne Rooney: My Decade in the Premier League (autobiography)
Movie: ROONEY (Netflix Series)
10. Ronaldo Luís Nazário | $160 million
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, better known by his stage name Ronaldo, is a prosperous Brazilian businessman and former football player. He is considered by many to be among the best players in the sport’s history. Over the course of his remarkable football career, Ronaldo broke multiple records and amassed a sizable fortune. He was the youngest winner of the coveted Ballon d’Or award and the most expensive player in football history at the age of 21, a record that still stands today.
Since 2000, he has been a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, leveraging his notoriety and connections to further a range of humanitarian causes.
Records: Third-highest goal scorer of Brazil, Highest goals in a single La Liga season, and more
Awards: European Golden Shoe, FIFA World Player of the Year, World Soccer Player of the Year, Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year, and more
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