Top 10 Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2025: Forbes Ranking of the Richest Footballers
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Money talks louder than stadium chants. In 2025, the highest-paid soccer players are bigger than their clubs—filling arenas on weeknights and feeds by sunrise, stacking bonuses with brand empires. From Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi-scale paydays to Lionel Messi’s Miami glow-up, from Karim Benzema’s nine-figure move to Kylian Mbappé’s super-club spotlight, this is where football’s fame turns into fortune. These aren’t just scorers; they’re global businesses in boots—signature lines, record shirt sales, and sponsors that follow them across continents.
At a glance
- No. 1 this year: Cristiano Ronaldo — $275M total earnings (pre-tax). (Forbes)
- Next two: Lionel Messi — $135M; Karim Benzema — $104M. (Forbes)
- Forbes earnings window: May 1, 2024 → May 1, 2025; includes salaries, bonuses and off-field income; excludes transfer and agent fees. (Forbes)
- Soccer-specific splits (for names outside the 2025 athletes list) come from Forbes’ World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2024. (Forbes)
Methodology (tier-one sources only)
- Primary: Forbes World’s 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2025 (Ronaldo, Messi, Benzema totals). (Forbes)
- Soccer-specific: Forbes World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2024 (latest list with on/off-field splits for Neymar, Mbappé, Haaland, Salah, Vinícius; also De Bruyne). (Forbes)
1) Cristiano Ronaldo — Al Nassr
Ronaldo is still the reference point for the highest-paid footballers. The Saudi Pro League package—heavy on guaranteed salary and win/appearance bonuses—creates a salary-dominant year, while a long-standing endorsement with Nike keeps his off-field engine humming. In Forbes’ current window, he again sets the pace for top-earning soccer players, underscoring why the richest soccer players still begin with CR7 in 2025. Forbes
- Forbes 2025 total: $275M (No. 1 across all sports; No. 1 among the highest-paid soccer players). (Forbes)
- Forbes split signal (profile): $225M salary/winnings + $50M endorsements—a uniquely salary-led profile at the very top. (Forbes)
- Why it holds: outsized domestic pay + global social reach + evergreen brand demand = repeat supremacy among the highest-paid footballers.
2) Lionel Messi — Inter Miami
Messi’s North American chapter turned into a media-commerce flywheel. MLS wages, equity-style partner upside and blue-chip endorsements combine into a nine-figure year that keeps him near the top of every ranking of the richest soccer players. His feed and stadium draw amplify each other, so he remains one of the top-earning soccer players even outside Europe’s traditional pay peaks. (Forbes)
- Forbes 2025 total: $135M (Top-5 overall; No. 2 among soccer). (Forbes)
- Forbes split (Club World Cup feature): ~$60M on-field / ~$75M off-field in the past year. (Forbes)
- Why it matters: MLS visibility + global sponsors + touring-scale audience = sustained place among the highest-paid soccer players.
3) Karim Benzema — Al Ittihad
Even with form swings, Benzema’s Saudi package keeps him inside the global top ten and among 2025’s highest-paid footballers. Forbes shows a salary-centric profile with a slim endorsement slice, which still totals nine figures—proof the Saudi wage structure remains a dominant driver among top-earning soccer players. (Forbes)
- Forbes 2025 total: $104M (top-ten athlete overall; No. 3 among the highest-paid soccer players). (Forbes)
- Forbes context: earnings are overwhelmingly on-field this cycle. (Forbes)
- Why it holds: trophy résumé + headline salary = durable spot among the richest soccer players.
4) Neymar — Al Hilal
Injuries trimmed minutes, but not market power. Forbes’ latest soccer list still places Neymar among the highest-paid soccer players thanks to a massive base salary and a resilient global sponsor book. It’s the classic modern profile of the richest soccer players: guaranteed domestic pay paired with international brand gravity. (Forbes)
- Forbes (soccer 2024): $110M total ($80M on-field / $30M off-field). (Forbes)
- Signal: even with limited availability, commercial demand stays strong—why he remains one of the top-earning soccer players.
5) Kylian Mbappé — Real Madrid
A perennial in any ranking of the highest-paid footballers, Mbappé blends super-club wages with blue-chip endorsements and global jersey demand. Forbes’ latest soccer tally keeps him in the top-earning soccer players, and the Madrid spotlight only extends the runway for the richest soccer players list in future cycles. (Forbes)
- Forbes (soccer 2024): $90M total ($70M on-field / $20M off-field). (Forbes)
- Why it matters: the transferable star—elite wages in Europe, commercial gravity everywhere.
6) Erling Haaland — Manchester City
Haaland’s goals-to-checks equation is simple: elite output, elite bonuses, and a rising ad book. Forbes keeps him inside the highest-paid soccer players, with room for off-field upside as trophies stack. His profile is the modern template for top-earning soccer players in Europe—production first, marketing second, totals still elite. (Forbes)
- Forbes (soccer 2024): $60M total ($46M on-field / $14M off-field). (Forbes)
- Signal: consistency + silverware = durable place among the highest-paid footballers.
7) Mohamed Salah — Liverpool
Salah combines a Champions League-calibre wage with pan-regional resonance across the Middle East and Africa—why Forbes consistently lists him among the richest soccer players. He’s a steady presence in the highest-paid soccer players tier even outside the Saudi cluster. (Forbes)
- Forbes (soccer 2024): $53M total ($35M on-field / $18M off-field). (Forbes)
- Why it holds: elite club platform + broad sponsor appeal = reliable top-earning soccer players profile.
8) Vinícius Júnior — Real Madrid
Vini’s surge comes with silverware—and sponsors. Forbes places him inside the top-earning soccer players already, and his age/club mix suggests compounding upside as he shifts from star to franchise status—exactly how the richest soccer players are minted. (Forbes)
- Forbes (soccer 2024): $55M total ($40M on-field / $15M off-field). (Forbes)
- Signal: young + marketable + Madrid = long-term place among the highest-paid footballers.
9) Kevin De Bruyne — Manchester City
Even with injuries, De Bruyne’s wage/bonus structure and captain-level value keep him on Forbes’ money radar. He’s been a consistent presence among the highest-paid soccer players, reflecting how title contention and leadership translate into cash for top-earning soccer players in Europe. (Forbes)
- Forbes (soccer 2024): $39M total ($35M on-field / $4M off-field). (Forbes)
- Why it holds: reliability + trophy window = sustained standing among the richest soccer players.
10) Harry Kane — Bayern Munich
A move to Bayern delivered Champions League visibility, a partner lift, and the kind of club stability sponsors like. While his last soccer-list figure came a cycle earlier, Forbes’ 2025 Club World Cup feature shows his current-window earnings profile squarely in the highest-paid footballers tier—proof that elite strikers at elite clubs remain top-earning soccer players. (Forbes)
- Forbes (Club World Cup 2025): ~$39M total ($29M on-field / $10M off-field). (Forbes)
- Why it matters: elite scoring + major-market club = enduring sponsor lift among the richest soccer players.
FAQ
Who tops the list of the highest-paid soccer players in 2025?
Cristiano Ronaldo leads the pack, ahead of Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema—setting the pace for the highest-paid footballers this year.
What actually makes a player one of the highest-paid footballers?
A big guaranteed club salary, heavy win/appearance bonuses, and off-field income from sponsors, licensing, appearances, and signature products. The biggest stars turn every match into marketing.
Which leagues create the top-earning soccer players right now?
Saudi Pro League deals dominate for pure salary, Europe’s elite clubs add trophy bonuses and global visibility, and MLS delivers a unique blend of pay plus partner upside for headline stars.
Salary or endorsements—what matters more for the richest soccer players?
Both. Salary sets a high floor (especially in Saudi and at super-clubs). Endorsements, image rights, and signature lines lift the ceiling—often pushing superstars into nine-figure years.
Why do scorers dominate the highest-paid soccer players lists?
Goals drive trophies, headlines, and shirt sales. Forwards and attacking mids command the biggest wages and the strongest brand demand, so they crowd the top-earning soccer players table.
Related Readings:
Sources
- Forbes — The World’s 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2025 (list and player totals). (Forbes)
- Forbes — World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2024 (soccer-specific list with on/off splits). (Forbes)
- Forbes — Ronaldo profile split ($225M/$50M) in 2025 window. (Forbes)
- Forbes — The Highest-Paid Players At The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (Kane $29M on-field / $10M off-field; Messi split). (Forbes)
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