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Top 6 Richest Footballers in the World

Football concentrates money at the very top of the game.

Last reviewed: Read our methodology

The ranking at a glance

The top three in this ranking, based on our dated estimates.

  1. Portrait photograph of Cristiano Ronaldo
    #1Cristiano Ronaldo$1.2BAl Nassr contract, CR7 brand, endorsements
  2. Portrait photograph of Lionel Messi
    #2Lionel Messi$1BInter Miami deal, Adidas, Apple revenue share
  3. Portrait photograph of David Beckham
    #3David Beckham$450MFootball wages, image rights and Inter Miami

The richest footballers in the world

  1. 1
    Cristiano RonaldoAl Nassr contract, CR7 brand, endorsements · Nov 3, 2026
    $1.2B
  2. 2
    Lionel MessiInter Miami deal, Adidas, Apple revenue share · Nov 3, 2026
    $1B
  3. 3
    David BeckhamFootball wages, image rights and Inter Miami · Nov 5, 2026
    $450M
  4. 4
    NeymarFootball wages and image rights · Nov 5, 2026
    $350M
  5. 5
    Zlatan IbrahimovićFootball wages and endorsements · Nov 5, 2026
    $190M
  6. 6
    Kylian MbappéFootball salary and image rights · Nov 5, 2026
    $180M

Behind the fortunes

A closer look at each name on this list: how the money was made and where it sits today.

  1. Portrait photograph of Cristiano Ronaldo

    1. Cristiano Ronaldo

    $1.2B

    Cristiano Ronaldo is the first footballer to pass one billion dollars in career earnings. This profile follows the contracts from Sporting to Al-Nassr, the CR7 businesses built on his initials, the long Nike relationship and the Spanish tax case he settled in 2019.

    View Cristiano Ronaldo's profile
  2. Portrait photograph of Lionel Messi

    2. Lionel Messi

    $1B

    Lionel Messi's wealth is unusual for a footballer because it now includes equity rather than only wages. This profile sets out the contracts, the tax case and the Miami structure.

    View Lionel Messi's profile
  3. Portrait photograph of David Beckham

    3. David Beckham

    $450M

    A playing career that paid well but never like a modern superstar contract, and a brand built after it. This profile separates the Adidas and Diageo money from the Inter Miami stake, the licensing businesses and the property, and explains why the club is the hardest part to price.

    View David Beckham's profile
  4. Portrait photograph of Neymar

    4. Neymar

    $350M

    A career that peaked early and was paid at the very top of the market. This profile separates the 222 million euro transfer from the Saudi salary, the image rights held through his father's companies and the endorsement money, and explains why the total sits well below those of Messi and Ronaldo.

    View Neymar's profile
  5. Portrait photograph of Zlatan Ibrahimović

    5. Zlatan Ibrahimović

    $190M

    Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an estimated $200 million on 3 November 2026. This profile follows the moves from Malmö to Ajax, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, Milan, Paris, Manchester and Los Angeles, the wages those transfers produced, and the Puma deal that outlasted them.

    View Zlatan Ibrahimović's profile
  6. Portrait photograph of Kylian Mbappé

    6. Kylian Mbappé

    $180M

    Kylian Mbappé is estimated at $200 million at 27. This profile follows the Monaco breakthrough, the record PSG transfer, the 2022 renewal and the free move to Real Madrid, then tests what the public record can actually support.

    View Kylian Mbappé's profile

How this list is compiled

Every entry is pulled from our shared profile dataset and sorted by estimated net worth in US dollars. Each estimate adds up documented assets, such as reported contracts, endorsement income, company stakes and property, and subtracts known debts. These are editorial estimates, not financial advice.

Read our methodology