Last Updated: April 07, 2022
Soccer is a very exciting game all over the world and hence it is popular. The game is played in more than 200 countries and more than 250 million people enjoy playing this game. Soccer is one of the most enjoyable sports in the world. So, there is no doubt that many soccer players can earn a huge amount of money from the sport. And to stay at the top of the ladder in terms of earning, they work hard and show their football skills to the world.
Soccer players get paid significantly compared to other sports all over the world. They also can earn more from brand endorsement deals that come as a bonus.
Amongst them, we’ve chosen the top 30 soccer players who are considered to be the reigning richest players, and today, we will talk about some of them. The list is as follows:
1. Faiq Bolkiah
Net Worth: $20 Billion
The richest soccer player in the world is none other than the son of the Prince of Brunei, Jefri Bolkiah, and nephew of the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, Faig Bolkiah.
He earns $1,000 per week and he plays for the Leicester City club. He plays in the position of midfielder or winger and he is now waiting to make his first-team appearance at the King Power Stadium. He is still on rather modest wages. He serves as the captain of Brunei and his net worth of $20 billion makes him the richest soccer player on the planet with the biggest fortune.
2. David Beckham
Net Worth: $450 Million
The retired professional soccer player, David Beckham is known to be the first English soccer player who became a league titleholder in four different countries. In 2004, he was named the highest-paid soccer player.
Making her debut at the age of 17, he played for Manchester United and from 1992-2003. He became a household name in a match against Wimbledon when he scored a goal from 60 years out and that went over the goalkeeper’s head and dropped into the net. He played his final season for Paris Saint-Germain in 2013 and also played for the England team in 1992-93, 1994-96, and 1996-2009. In 2019, Beckham spent $50 million to buy a team investor, Simon Fuller through his investment vehicle Beckham Brand Holdings.
3. Lionel Messi
Net Worth: $400 Million
The famous Argentine soccer player, Lionel Messi is next on the list and there is no doubt that one of the best players who played the sport, Messi’s astronomical wages match his club achievements with Barcelona.
He has the big deals with mega-brand like Pepsi, and Adidas that ensure him to take a more than respectable wages home. He was featured on the covers of the Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, and Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 video games. He is the founder of the charitable fund, Leo Messi Foundation that helps the underprivileged children in education and health care. He also does fundraising activities like global football matches for several charities and in 2020, he has donated $1 million to help the spread of the coronavirus.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
Net Worth: $360 Million
The former Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Sporting Lisbon soccer player, Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid player in Italy’s Serie A and that also made him the second-highest-paid soccer player in the world.
He has won the Ballon d’Or three times that made him one of the greatest soccer players of all time. He also earns from his lucrative CR7 brand and he has a $1 Billion lifetime contract with Nike. Apart from that, he has his business ventures including a clothing line and hotels. His riches are currently taking a slight hit for having agreed to a wage to help Juve navigate the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. As of 2020, he has won 29 trophies throughout his career including five Champions League wins six league titles, a Nations League, and a Euro Cup.
5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Net Worth: $220 Million
The Swedish striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is next in our list and he is managed by super-agent, Mino Raiola. He has played for several clubs including AC Milan, LA Galaxy, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Juventus, Barcelona, etc.
Apart from his success on the pitch, the outspoken Zlatan has endured mixed results with his business ventures including perfume, a sportswear range, and his own Android game. The sports documentary, Becoming Zlatan has been released in 2016 that follows his formative years with Malmo FF and Ajax to his breakthrough time with Juventus in 2005. In 2019, a statue of him has been unveiled in his hometown which is 8 feet 9 inches tall and it weighs 1100 pounds almost.
6. Dave Whelan
Net Worth: $220 Million
The English footballer, Dave Whelan has a net worth of 220 Million. He has played for Blackburn Rovers and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Later, he was sold to Crewe Alexandra F.C. where he played till 1966.
After taking retirement, he opened a series of supermarkets, Whelan’s Discount Stores that eventually sold for more than a million pounds. In 1977, he acquired a sporting and fishing store that turned into a successful sporting goods store and became the U.K.’s second-biggest retailer. In 1995. He bought the Wigan Athletic Football Club and took the team to the Premier League in 2005.
7. Neymar
Net Worth: $185 Million
The controversial Brazil star, PSG, Neymar has boasted millions of social media followers that make him a potential gold mine for sponsors. He has played for the teams like Barcelona, Santos, and Paris Saint-Germain and he has signed a new 5-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain that made him the highest-paid athlete in the world.
Making his professional debut in 2009, he has represented Brazil in several competitions including the 2011 South America Youth Championship, 2013 Confederations Cup, two Summer Olympics in 2012 and 2016, three Copa America tournaments, and two World Cups in 2014 and 2018. In 2013, he was rated as the most marketable athlete in the world by SportsPro magazine and in 2011, he has signed an 11-year contract with Nike and a 2-year $2.4 million contract with the electronics brand, Panasonic.
8. Wayne Rooney
Net Worth: $160 Million
The former England captain, Wayne Rooney has burst onto the Premier League as a 16-year-old with Everton in 2002 and he has enjoyed a long and lucrative career.
He has scored 15 goals with Everton and 183 goals in 393 caps with Manchester United. She also scored 53 goals in international competition at the senior level and with more than 200 Premier League goals, he became the top scorer in history. He has been named the England Player of the Year in 2008, 2009, 2014, and 2015. In 2017, he has signed a 3-year contract with D.C. United of Major League Soccer. He has pocketed plenty of extra wages in his golden days with the endorsement of Nokia, Coca-Cola, Nike, Ford, and others.
9. Ronaldo
Net Worth: $150 Million
The retired Brazil soccer player, Ronaldo has a net worth of $150 million. He played as a striker for the Brazilian team and has appeared in 98 international matches and scored 62 goals.
He was a part of the FIFA World Cup Brazilian winning team in 1994 and 2002. He is one of the three players who was presented with the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times in 1996, 1997, and 2002. He is the only football player who won the World Cup Golden Ball and Golden Boot in two tournaments. He also became the United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador. He also was sponsored by Nike and signed a 10-year deal worth $180 million in 1996. He co-owned the A1 Team Brazil and is also a minority owner of the North American Soccer League team, Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
10. Alexandre Pato
Net Worth: $145 Million
The Brazilian soccer player, Alexandre Pato is next on the list and he was once an AC Milan wonder-kid and the next big thing from Brazil. The player may never hit the career heights expected from him, but he has played with some prestigious clubs including Chelsea, Villarreal, and Rossoneri.
In 2017, he was moved to China with Tianjin Tianhi and had a six-figure salary. While other athletes splurge on luxury holidays and sports cars, Pato seems like played it smart and invested his money for snapping up restaurants, launching fashion, alcohol, and perfume brands, and winning cosmetics endorsement contracts.
11. Gareth Bale
Net Worth: $125 Million
Gareth Bale almost became the highest-paid soccer player in the world when Real Madrid came close to offloading La Liga star and his salary to the Chinese Super League in 2019.
He might not be in favor of the boss of Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane at the moment but he won’t need to worry about cash flow. He has the sponsorship deal with BT Sport, Lucozade, Adidas, etc. Apart from soccer, he has his business interest that includes Elevens Bar & Grill which is a watering hole in his hometown, Cardiff. He has won the Football League Young Player of the Year Award in his first professional career. In 2013, he was transferred to Real Madrid for a record of $85.3 Million, and eventually, he signed an extension deal that keeps him with the team till 2022.
12. Andres Iniesta
Net Worth: $120 Million
After being captain for Barcelona when they had been dubbed the greatest club side ever, Andres Iniesta had joined the Japanese team. Vissel Kobe in 2018 and that made him one of the 10 highest-paid soccer players in the world.
In 2009, he got the La Liga Spanish Player of the Year award in 2009, and in 2011, he has been honored with the Marca Legend Award. Apart from soccer, he traded a lucrative partnership with Nike for one with the Japanese company, Asics. He also gains extra income through his winery, Minuto 116 that is famous for producing a vintage wine.
13. Francesco Totti
Net Worth: $101.6 Million
The Italian professional soccer player, Francesco Totti joined the Fortitudo football youth team at the age of 8. He gained fame in the time of 1998-1999 when he became the Young Footballer of the Year. The following year, he was named as the Italian Footballer of the Year and also was nominated for Ballon d’Or.
He was selected in the All-Star team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. He also represented his country at the Euro 2004 and 2002 World Cup. In 2003, he became a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF and in 2009, he helped to launch a new campaign promoting Football Adapting Abandoned Children in collaborating with the Friends of Children and the Association of Italian Players.
14. Pele
Net Worth: $100 Million
The retired Brazilian footballer, Pele has earned his net worth as one of the greatest soccer players of all time. He was named Football Player of the Year in 1999 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.
In his football career, he has made 760 official goals, 541 in league championship that made a total of 1281 goals in 1363 games. He has played for several clubs including Santos, Waldemar de Brito. He took retirement from Brazilian club football in 1972 after playing for 17 seasons with Santos. Later in 1975, he came out of semi-retirement and signed with the North America Soccer League.
15. Eden Hazard
Net Worth: $100 Million
The Belgian professional footballer, Edeen Hazard has begun his football career when he was 4 and he spent eight years with Royal StadeBrainois.
In 2008, he joined the professional team and he played in the Premier League for Lille from 2007-2012. In 2012, he joined Chelsea and scored 30 goals in two seasons. With Lille, he won the Coupe de France in 2010-2011 and with Chelsea, he won the UEFA Europa League. He was made the UNFMP Ligue 1 Team of the Year in three seasons from 2009-2012 and he also earned PFA Young Player of the Year honors from in 2013-2014 season. He was transferred to Real Madrid in 2019.
16. Jose Mourinho
Net Worth: $100 Million
The Portuguese football manager and retired football player, Jose Mourinho has a net worth of $100 million. He is the manager of the football team out of London, Chelsea.
Initially, he used to work as a school coach, and after that, he worked with several teams and he is famous for his fundamentals and ability to positively encourage players. He is well-known for his quirky comments and unique style. When he was selected to coach Manchester United, he has signed a contract of $27 million per year and in 2018, Manchester bought his contract for a reported $28 million.
17. Mesut Ozil
Net Worth: $100 Million
The German footballer, Mesut Ozil began his football career in youth leagues in elementary school. After he transitioned to a senior football career, he began to play for Schalke 04.
In 2008, he moved to Werder Bremen and his performance made him play in the World Cup to represent Germany. He was recruited by several teams but eventually, he signed with Real Madrid and Real Madrid paid 15 million euros to Werder Bremen for him. In 2013, he joined Arsenal for $42.5 million. He helped fund the operation for 23 sick children in Brazil after winning the 2014 World Cup. Currently, he plays for Arsenal with an annual base salary of $24 Million per year.
18. Philipp Lahm
Net Worth: $100 Million
The German footballer, Philipp Lahm is the captain of the German national team and Bayern Munich. He is a full back and a defensive midfielder for both the team.
He is considered one of the best full-backs of his generation and he has played in the World Cup 2006 and 2010, the UEFA Team in 2008 and 2012, in the UEFA Team of the Year 2006-2008, 2012-2013. He scored his first goal in the World Cup in Germany against Costa Roca in the sixth minute and he was chosen the Man of the Match for his performance. Lahm has a strong presence as a captain and a player as well in the Euro 2012 tournament and with is help, the German team won all ten qualification matches.
19. Raul Gonzalez Blanco
Net Worth: $100 Million
The former Spanish player, Raul Gonzalez was a striker and in his youth, he has played for San Cristobal, Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid. In 1994, he made his senior debut with Real Madrid C and also played for Real Madrid B.
After that, he played for Real Madrid from 1994-2010. During his time with Real Madrid, he has scored 228 goals in 550 appearances, and in 2010, he joined Schalke 04 and played there till 2012. From 2012-2014, he was with Al Sadd and he finished his career with the New York Cosmos in which he played from 2014-2015. He has represented Spain in several international competitions including the Under-18, Under-21, senior levels, and he has won six La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions.
20. Kaka
Net Worth: $95 Million
The former Brazilian football player, Kaka has played for several teams including AC Milan, Real Madrid, Orlando City, etc. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Ballon d’Or when he was Real Madrid.
Initially, he played tennis but at the age of 15, he decided to focus his career in football and joined Milan for a fee of 8.5 million Euros in 2003. He won the 2002 FIFA World Cup with Brazil. Apart from football, he also earned from several endorsements with companies including Hyundai, Adidas, WiseUp, Armani, etc.
21. Samuel Eto
Net Worth: $95 Million
The Cameroonian footballer, Samuel Eto is known for most decorated African footballer ever. He has a net worth of $95 million and an annual salary of $26 million.
In 1997, he began his career with Real Madrid but due to the club’s rule at that time of no foreign players policy, he had to bounce around several clubs and eventually joined the RCD Mallorca. He is famous for his crowd-pleasing style. Later, he moved to Barcelona and played there till 2009 and then joined the Internazionale club. He also played the international competitions of the World Cup and African Cup soccer games. Like many other players, he also had gone through racist taunts from European soccer fans.
22. Didier Drogba
Net Worth: $90 Million
The Ivorian footballer, Didier Drogba has a net worth of $90 million and he is known to be the most successful footballer to play the game and he also holds the record of the top scorer of all time in the Ivorian national football team.
He stepped into the football career at the age of 15 and in a short time, he became the single most expensive footballer in Ivorian history. In 1997, he joined the club, Le Mans and after that, he played for several clubs in Europe and Africa, and finally, in 2004, he joined Chelsea. While with the team, he was accused of cheating and manipulates the ball on at least one occasion. But still, he remains one of the most popular and talented footballers in the game.
23. Fabio Capello
Net Worth: $90 Million
Fabio Capello currently serves as the manager of the Russian national football team. Previously, he managed England’s national squad for international competitions. As a successful coach, he has won four major cities and also won the domestic league title with every team he has coached.
His professional football career as a player was with several teams including Roma, SPAL, Juventus, Milan, etc. He served as a manager since 1987 and has managed several clubs including Real Madrid, Milan, Russia, Milan, etc. He was chosen to be the manager of the Russian team in 2012. In 2008, police have announced that they will launch an investigation into tan irregularities related to him but later, Capello’s spokesman dismissed the investigation.
24. Ronaldinho
Net Worth: $90 Million
The former Brazilian footballer, Ronaldinho has been once considered to be the best soccer player in the world. He was a part of the World Cup championship team in 2002.
He was Brazil’s best young player in his tie and for the team, Gremio, he has scored 21 goals in 52 appearances. He also has played for other clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Milan, Barcelona, Atletico Mineiro, Flamengo, etc. With his help, Brazil has won its 5th World Cup in 2002 and he won the FIFA World Player of the Year twice. Apart from soccer, he also earned from various endorsements like EA, Nike, and more than a dozen other smaller brands of energy drink and mobile phone companies.
25. Fernando Torres
Net Worth: $90 Million
The Spanish professional player, Fernando Torres has a net worth of $20 million. He earned almost $9 million per year from several endorsements including Adidas, Pepsi, etc. and that makes him one of the highest-paid footballers in the world.
He began his professional football career with Athletico Madrid and after that, he joined Liverpool, Chelsea, and Milan but in 2014, he returned to Athletico Madrid. He has participated in three major tournaments including FIFA World Cup 2006, UEFA Euro 2004, and UEFA EURO 2008. He also won the Federation Internationale de Football Association World Cup in 2010.
26. Frank Lampard
Net Worth: $85 Million
Frank Lampard began his professional football career with the English club, West Ham United and he placed in the first team by 1998. With his help, the team placed fifth in the Premiere League, and in 2001, he moved to the London club, Chelsea for 11 million Euros. He has made 164 Premier League appearances with the team and in 2008, he signed a new contract that made him the highest-paid player in Britain.
He has scored his first Champions League Final in 1998 and won the FA Cup winners’ medal in 2009. He serves as the vice-captain of his club side.
27. Paul Pogba
Net Worth: $85 Million
Paul Pogba started playing football at the age of 6 and he joined his first youth club, Roissy-en-Brie. After playing for several youth clubs, he joined Manchester United in 2009, and in 2011, he played in Man U’s senior team. He left Manchester to join Juventus in 2012. He serves as the midfielder mainly and he has been named as Paul the Octopus for his long legs.
He has served as a captain for the Under-20 team and won the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He gets a salary of $30 million annually and from the endorsement, he earns $10-20 million per year. He returned to Manchester United in 2016.
28. Sergio Ramos
Net Worth: $80 Million
The Spanish player, Sergio Ramos has a net worth of $80 Million and his annual salary is $25 million. He began his football career with Sevilla FC’s youth system and in 2004, he made his debut with La Liga.
The following year, he joined Real Madrid and he has established himself as an excellent defender with goal-scoring skills. This quality is very rare for players who have focused on defensive work. In 2004, he played in Spain’s Under-21 team, and in 2009, he played at the FIFA Confederations Cup. He began every game and finished tournament play with no. 1 ranking in the time of World Cup 2010.
29. Arjen Robben
Net Worth: $80 Million
The Dutch footballer, Arjen Robben has a net worth of $80 million. Taking birth in the Netherlands, he got interested in football when he was a child.
Initially, he signed with FC Groningen in his senior career and his level of play got improved eventually and in 2002, he moved to PSV and he started playing stellar football. With his help, the team won a Dutch title and he was honored with Talented Player of the Year award. After that, he was moved to Chelsea but spent most of his time with the team being severely injured. Then, he was traded to Bayern and with the team, he has proven himself. In 2014, he became the first player who scored in three separate DFB-Pokal finals.
30. Willian
Net Worth: $75 Million
The Brazilian footballer, Willian has begun his professional football career in 2006. He started his career with Corinthians and in 2007, he joined Shakhtar Donetsk for a fee of $14 million. He has spent six years with the club and in this time, he has won five Ukrainian Premier League titles and the UEFA Cup in 2009.
He signed with Anzhi Makhachkala and then, he was traded to Chelsea for 30 million euros. There, he won the Premier League and League Cup in England. In 2011, he made his international team debut for Brazil and has represented Brazil at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, the Copa America Centenario, the 2015 and 2019 Copa America, etc.
