It is a well-known fact that footballers worldwide are paid extremely well, be it on or off the field. Their exploits on the pitch make them stars who are easily accessible to the common person, and big brands tend to associate themselves with them to make gains. These endorsements, in turn, help the players financially.
In this article, we will take a look at the top ten highest-paid soccer players in the world in 2024.
10. Kevin De Bruyne – $39 million
Club: Manchester City
Salary: $35 million
Total Earnings: $39 million
Sponsors: Nike, McDonald’s, Therabody
Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne will earn a whopping $39M in 2024. The Belgian is known to partner with Nike and McDonald’s for sponsorships and endorsements.
Unpopular opinion: Kevin De Bruyne made the #17 iconic. pic.twitter.com/wtMOWqffH9
— Deedy 🇧🇪 (@DeedyMCFC) November 12, 2024
De Bruyne is among the most creative attacking midfielders in the world at the moment, and is rated extremely highly by City manager Pep Guardiola. However, his contract at the Etihad comes to an end in the summer of 2025, and with the end of his career in sight, he might make a money move to Saud Arabia.
9. Sadio Mane – $52 million
Club: Al Nassr
Salary: $48 million
Total Earnings: $52 million
Sponsors: New Balance, Western Union
Sadio Mane comes ninth on this list thanks to the $52m he can add to his bank account in 2024. The former left-winger at Anfield now plies his trade for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, a famous destination for its gigantic salaries.
One of his key deals was signing a long-term contract with American apparel maker New Balance in 2021.
Sadio Mane’s goal from the stands.
— Al Nassr Zone (@TheNassrZone) November 8, 2024
The Senegalese player is among the most big-hearted in the world, and has used his wealth to build petrol stations, hospitals and schools in his native country. Mane is also Senegal’s top goal-scorer of all time.
8. Mohamed Salah – $53 million
Club: Liverpool
Salary: $35 million
Total Earnings: $53 million
Sponsors: Adidas, Vodafone
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, who has earned the status of legend at Anfield, will earn about $53m in 2024, which is more that any of his teammates. The Egyptian has worked with big brands such as Adidas and Vodafone and also has 100 million followers on social media.
— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) November 8, 2024
Salah’s current contract with Liverpool comes to an end in the summer of 2025, and it remains to be seen if the Reds are willing to negotiate and offer him a new one. Will he opt for the oil dollars in the Saudi Pro League, or will he pursue more silverware with the Reds?
7. Vinicius Junior – $55 million
Club: Real Madrid
Salary: $40 million
Total Earnings: $55 million
Sponsors: Unilever, Gatorade, Pepsi
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, who is one of the finest young talents in the world at the moment, comes seventh on this list. He is bound to net $55m in 2024. Interestingly, he has deals with Unilever and Gatorade, brands that are not always associated with a healthy lifestyle.
Next year Vinicius Junior will be rightly awarded his deserved Ballon D’or, they can’t rob him again. pic.twitter.com/1SqAzguUQg
— Steve (@UTDSteve9) November 9, 2024
The 24-year-old has made 281 appearances for Real Madrid so far and scored 96 goals in them. The Brazilian is known for his flair with the ball at his feet, and is rated extremely highly by everyone who has seen him play.
Although he has an excellent contract in Madrid, there have been various rumours that he would consider a move due to repeated incidents of racism during matches.
6. Erling Haaland – $60 million
Club: Manchester City
Salary: $46 million
Total Earnings: $60 million
Sponsors: Nike, EA Sports, RedBull, Tag Heuer
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, who has been a revelation of sorts in the Premier League after moving to Manchester City in the summer transfer window of 2022, comes sixth on this list with his net income of $60m in 2024.
Only one way to move on from last night – work even harder and come back fighting from this pic.twitter.com/ATVgXQJLlQ
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) November 6, 2024
Haaland is renowned as a scoring machine and has already scored on 105 occasions in 114 appearances for Manchester City.
He is one of the rising stars of the game and is slated to end up as one of the greatest ever. Considering he is only 24 years old, he could move up the ladder in this list with future contracts.
5. Kylian Mbappé – $90 million
Club: Real Madrid
Salary: $70 million
Total Earnings: $90 million
Sponsors: Nike, EA Sports, Hublot, Dior
French attacker Kylian Mbappé, who many see as the true successor to modern-day greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, comes fifth on this list owing to his net income of $90m in 2024.
The former Paris Saint-Germain star, who moved to Real Madrid earlier this year, has already scored eight goals in sixteen appearances for his new club.
Over 2 years since this amazing assist by Messi.
Kylian Mbappe: “We practiced this play with Messi and Neymar for 2 minutes. Galtier wanted us to repeat it, but Messi told him, ‘Relax, we’ll do it tomorrow.’” 🇫🇷🇦🇷
— Max Stéph (@maxstephh) November 8, 2024
Off the pitch, the 25-year-old is associated with brands like Nike, Hublot, and Dior, who pay him hefty amounts to have him feature in their advertising campaigns.
4. Karim Benzema – $104 million
Club: Al-Ittihad
Salary: $100 million
Total Earnings: $104 million
Sponsors: Adidas, Michael Kors, Volkswagen
French footballer Karim Benzema, who earned most plaudits for being the sole striker of Real Madrid for several years, now plays for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League. The 36-year-old will earn $104m in 2024.
Appreciated by experts to be among the best strikers in the world in his prime, Benzema left Real Madrid in June 2023. Since then, he has made 42 appearances for Al-Ittihad and found the net on 24 occasions.
Il y a deux ans jour pour jour, Karim Benzema revenait à Lyon présenter son Ballon d’Or au Groupama Stadium ! 🌕❤️💙
La fierté du peuple lyonnais 6️⃣9️⃣
(@OL)pic.twitter.com/KM8KXLh5eB
— Footballogue (@Footballogue) November 11, 2024
At 36 years old, it is unlikely that he will sign bigger contracts than he did in the past, but until he hangs up his boots, he will remain one of the highest earners in international soccer.
3. Neymar – $110 million
Club: Al-Hilal
Salary: $80 million
Total Earnings: $110 million
Sponsors: Puma, RedBull, PokerStars, Mondelez, Qatar Airways
Former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar, who plays for Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, will earn about $110m in 2024. The Brazilian is among the most artistic soccer players in the world when he has the ball at his feet.
Although he has been out of action for some time due to a hamstring injury, Neymar has continued to work with his partner Puma and other endorsements on social media to make money off the pitch.
Neymar Jr😍 pic.twitter.com/AYPqUmSiIP
— Berneese (@the_berneese_) November 11, 2024
Some of the partnerships he holds off the pitch are with Red Bull, PokerStars and Mondelez. The latter two are quite interesting as PokerStars is a poker site and Mondelez is best known to be the promoter of Cadbury chocolates, brands that try create a healthy image by connecting with sports stars.
2. Lionel Messi – $135 million
Club: Inter Miami
Salary: $60 million
Total Earnings: $135 million
Sponsors: Adidas, Hard Rock Cafe, Budweiser, Gatorade, Saudi Arabia tourism
Cristiano Ronaldo’s great competitor Lionel Messi comes second on this list thanks to his income of about $135m every year. The Argentine plays for Inter Miami in the MLS and also captains his club and country.
Messi has partnered with Hard Rock Cafe, Adidas and Apple TV, and takes home a significant sum of his income from off the pitch. His contract at Inter Miami is set to run till next year, while he has also started his own production company.
Lionel Messi had a lot of fun in his first full MLS season 🐐⚡ pic.twitter.com/uhqkPcKbU0
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) November 11, 2024
In fact, Messi is the only player whose income off the pitch ($75 million) is more than his income on it ($60 million.)
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – $285 million
Club: Al Nassr
Salary: $220 million
Total Earnings: $285 million
Sponsors: Nike, Castro, Tag Heuer
The legendary Cristiano Ronaldo, who is among the best players in the world, is also the highest paid. He takes home around $285 million every year, including match fees and sponsorships. Ronaldo himself is a brand, and companies vie to get his attention and endorsements.
🚨🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo: “I can’t wait to see what my legs have to offer me in the next few years”.
“If the 1000th goal comes, that’s fine… but if it doesn’t happen, I’m already the top scorer in history”. pic.twitter.com/o2hzWwCbPI
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 12, 2024
Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League from Manchester United in January 2023 and has scored 74 goals in 85 appearances. The Portuguese star may be turning 40 next February, but he remains a force to reckon with in world soccer.
