The Highest paid players top ten list have seen the emergence of Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal who has continued to make name for himself on and off the pitch.
Forbes estimates that the teenage Barcelona star will earn enough this year to break the threshold for the first time in his career. High-profile sponsorship deals with the likes of Adidas, Visa and Konami have helped boost Yamal’s earnings as a familiar face retains top spot in this rundown.
American financial magazine Forbes estimates that Yamal will crack the top 10 for the first time. They predict that the 18-year-old with earn $43m (£32m) this season, with $10m (£7.4m) coming from commercial income.
Having broken onto the scene in the 2023/24 season, Yamal is now considered one of the finest attacking talents in Europe. His performance on the pitch has earned him endorsement deals off the pitch.
One of Yamal’s biggest commercial contracts is with sports brand adidas, where he is one of the brand’s key ambassadors and has his own signature boots.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr retains his place as the highest paid player in the world. (Photo by Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images)
Highest Paid Players: Top Ten List According To Forbes
Cristiano Ronaldo tops the highest paid players list as the Portuguese forward continue his dominance. The former Real Madrid star signed a bumper new contract with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr over the summer.
He’s estimated to earn a whopping $280m this season, far and away the most of all footballers in the coming campaign. Messi remains in second place with $130m, though his off-field earnings of $70m trumps that of Ronaldo ($50m).
It’s the old guard that dominates the top 10 with Benzema ($104m) rounding off the top three.
Kylian Mbappe ($95m), Erling Haaland ($80m) and Vinicius Junior ($60m) feature fourth, fifth and sixth, and it’s surely only a matter of time before they leapfrog the likes of Benzema and Messi above them in the top 10.
Mohamed Salah ($55m), Sadio Mane ($54m), Jude Bellingham ($44m) and Yamal ($43m) round off the top 10, but their rise up the Forbes rankings has seen experienced stars Neymar and Kevin Bruyne drop down.
Neymar saw his lucrative contract with Saudi side Al-Hilal terminated back in January and re-joined Brazilian side Santos, which impacted his earnings, while De Bruyne left Manchester City for Napoli at the end of the 2024/25 season
Top 10 highest paid players in full according to Forbes:
Cristiano Ronaldo – $280m
Lionel Messi – $130m
Karim Benzema – $104m
Kylian Mbappe – $95m
Erling Haaland – $80m
Vinicius Junior – $60m
Mohamed Salah – $55m
Sadio Mane – $54m
Jude Bellingham – $44m
Lamine Yamal – $43m
