For the first time, Cristiano Ronaldo edged out Lionel Messi as the highest-paid footballer in 2024, Forbes reported. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player, now with Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr, earned $285 million this year, which is more than double what Lionel Messi made: $135 million.
The salaries and off-field earnings are vastly different for both of these soccer stars, Forbes also pointed out. Ronaldo’s pay from his well-paying contract, $220 million per season from Al-Nassr, paid a major chunk of his $285 million salary for this year, but he also pocketed another $65 million from endorsement and other avenues.
Although he’s been out of action since last fall with an ACL injury, Neymar remains third at $110m, $80m of which is his salary at Al-Hilal. His contract runs until 2025. Karim Benzema, Ronaldo’s former teammate at Real Madrid, ranks fourth with $104 million of it only $4 million earned off the pitch.
Ranked fifth with $90 million is French forward Kylian Mbappé, who has spurned an offer worth hundreds of millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia. $70 million of that total comes from salary and $20 million comes from endorsements. Amongst the highest-paid players, all of whom are on Forbes’ list, are all Saudi Pro League players.
Highest paid footballer list 2024:
| Rank | Player | Club | Country | Total Earnings (USD) | On-Field Earnings (USD) | Off-Field Earnings (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Al-Nassr | Portugal | 285 million | 220 million | 65 million |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | Argentina | 135 million | 60 million | 75 million |
| 3 | Neymar | Al Hilal | Brazil | 110 million | 80 million | 30 million |
| 4 | Karim Benzema | Al-Ittihad | France | 104 million | 100 million | 4 million |
| 5 | Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid | France | 90 million | 70 million | 20 million |
| 6 | Erling Haaland | Manchester City | Norway | 60 million | 46 million | 14 million |
| 7 | Vinícius Júnior | Real Madrid | Brazil | 55 million | 40 million | 15 million |
| 8 | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | Egypt | 53 million | 35 million | 18 million |
| 9 | Sadio Mané | Al-Nassr | Senegal | 52 million | 48 million | 4 million |
| 10 | Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City | Belgium | 39 million | 35 million | 4 million |
Also Read | Top 10 Best Adidas Shoes | Buy Now for a Flawless Fashion Statement