The Richest Footballers in the World
The spoils go to the victor, and this is especially true in football. The world’s most popular sport has enticed millions of men and women to try their luck, but only a handful have been fortunate enough to amass a mouth-watering net worth as a result of their footballing exploits. Here are the top ten richest male footballers worldwide, both current and retired.
10. Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney retired four years ago, capping off a spectacular career that saw him usher in a new era at Manchester United and the international level for England. Rooney’s net worth in 2024 was estimated to be $170 million by Pulse Sports.
Rooney, Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer, has endorsement deals with Nike, Nokia, Ford, Asda, and Coca-Cola. He has also been on seven consecutive UK-version covers of Electronic Arts’ FIFA video game series, from FIFA 06 to FIFA 12. And, while his coaching career has yet to take off after dismal experiences at D.C. United and Birmingham City, he isn’t anxious for a payday anytime soon.
9. Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé is not your typical footballer. At 26 years old, he has already won a FIFA World Cup with France and seven Ligue 1 crowns with Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain, and he seems certain to add to his trophy collection this season with Real Madrid. Mbappé signed for PSG for €180 million at the age of 18; eight years later, he joined Real Madrid on a free transfer.
Due to the lack of a transfer fee, Mbappé was able to negotiate a €150 million signing bonus spread over five years, as well as a gross salary of €26 million. His endorsement deals with Nike, Hublot, and Oakley, along with his appearances on FIFA video game covers, have contributed to his $180 million net worth.
8. Zlatan Ibrahimović
While Mbappé is PSG’s all-time top scorer, Zlatan Ibrahimović played a key role in establishing the club’s domestic dominance in France. The Swedish striker had an unparalleled career, scoring in each of the last four decades while playing for Malmö, Ajax, Milan, Inter, Juventus, Barcelona, PSG, Manchester United, and the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Zlatan retired in 2023, but he stays active in football as a part owner of Swedish club Hammarby IF and a technical advisor for Milan. He is also under contract with Nike and appears in their television advertisements among other well-known athletes such as Rooney and Neymar. Zlatan has a net worth of around $190 million.
7. Karim Benzema
One of the all-time greatest strikers to ever set foot on a football field, Karim Benzema has become synonymous with technical sophistication, creativity and adaptability. He defined an era at Real Madrid and guided them to the throne of Europe once more, claiming 24 honors including five UEFA Champions Leagues, and is Real’s second-highest scorer and top assist man of all time.
Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit in 2018, Benzema morphed from a false 9 into Real’s talismanic striker, marshaling the troops effortlessly and even winning the Ballon d’Or in 2022, before leaving to join Saudi club Al-Ittihad. Not only did Benzema sign a two-year, $436 million deal, but he’s also found that he can obtain profitable sponsorships with Korean car maker Hyundai, the French phone company SFR and its subsidiary BuzzMobile, the French bank LCL and sports betting operator bwin. He is worth $200 million, and as long as he remains in Saudi Arabia, it’s probable that figure will continue to increase.
6. Dave Whelan
Dave Whelan, the oldest member of this list, played for Blackburn Rovers from 1956 to 1960 and Crewe Alexandra from 1962 to 1966 before establishing a chain of stores. The 87-year-old was Wigan Athletic’s chairman for two decades until handing up the post to his grandson David Sharpe, and he also runs the fishing business JJB Sports.
Since buying it in 1977, Whelan has developed JJB Sports into the UK’s second largest sports retailer. A Conservative Party supporter, Whelan has given a total of £1.5 million to the party since 2007. While it might appear to be a lot, it’s a drop in the ocean compared to his $210 Million net worth.
5. Neymar
In the last ten years, Neymar has made himself one of the most naturally talented players of world football, dominating Brazilian football with Santos before becoming a crucial piece for Barcelona and winning the 2015 Champions League with them. He then moved his skills to PSG in 2017 for €222 million, which is still the highest-ever transfer fee.
Seven years later, Neymar moved to Saudi Arabia and signed for Al-Hilal, where he played few times due to injury before returning to Santos in January. He has gained lucrative endorsement contracts with brands such as Nike, Puma, Panasonic, and Volkswagen, and he’s even found time to star in films like ‘XXX: Return of Xander Cage’ the hit Netflix crime drama ‘Money Heist’ as Monje Joao. As of 2024, his net worth is $250 million.
4. David Beckham
Another former PSG player who’s making the money is David Beckham. Having played for Manchester United and Real Madrid, Beckham was the first global icon in MLS history to sign for LA Galaxy in 2007. To entice him to MLS, Beckham was offered an opportunity to buy an MLS expansion team for a paltry $25 million, which he took up by acquiring Inter Miami. He has since increased the value of the club to more than $1 billion.
Beckham is not only enjoying the benefits from Miami, but a $160 million lifetime deal with Adidas that had him receive almost half the funds in advance, and that still gets him percentages of profits on his signature Adidas merchandise. In 2021, he was named a global ambassador for Italian luxury automobile brand Maserati. Overall, Beckham has an amazing net worth of $550 million.
3. Lionel Messi
Among the causes of the success of Inter Miami commercially is the arrival of Lionel Messi. The Argentine midfielder has done it all from bagging eight Ballon d’Ors to leading Argentine to World Cup victories to assisting Barcelona to achieve a domestic and international domination. Messi has the most La Liga goals (474), the most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (eight), and the most La Liga assists (192) and Copa América assists (17).
As reported by France Football, Leo Messi was the world’s best-paid football player for five of every six years from 2009 through 2014, and was the world’s best-paid athlete according to Forbes in both 2019 and 2022. In 2020, Messi became the second football player and second team sport athlete to earn more than $1 billion in his career. Even at the approach of being 38, Messi continues to deliver for Miami and demonstrate why he is among the very best ever to do it.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
It’s difficult to see a record Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t shattered. He has five Ballon d’Or awards and four European Golden Shoes, and he also leads the way for appearances (183), goals (140), and assists (42) in the Champions League, as well as being the record all-time international football scorer (118). He’s had over 1,200 professional career appearances and holds the record for most goals in Portugal and Real Madrid history.
Ronaldo is still going strong at 40 with Al-Nassr, on and off the field. He’s secured a series of endorsement contracts with apparel brands, beverage companies, banking and video games, and he now sports the Nike Mercurial Vapor customized CR7 version. He has a net worth of $800 million, and today he is focused on becoming the first player to reach 1,000 goals.
1. Faiq Bolkiah
The world’s wealthiest footballer is not Messi or Ronaldo or Neymar; it is Faiq Bolkiah. With an eye-watering net worth of $20 billion, Bolkiah is the son of Jefri Bolkiah, the Prince of Brunei and the nephew of Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of the oil-rich asian nation. He has represented Leicester City, Southampton, and Chelsea at youth level, but now he plays for Thai League 1 outfit Ratchaburi.
Brunei’s Sovereign Wealth Fund manages assets worth $73 billion. The majority of this wealth comes from oil and gas investments—the sector is a major contributor to Brunei’s economy, accounting for half of its GDP. It’s safe to assume that even if football doesn’t work out for Faiq, he won’t have to worry about paying his expenses anytime soon.
