Who are the richest football players in the world

Mayank December 11, 2022

Who are the richest football players in the world

Top football players earn enormously. But there are a few who are more even affluent than their clubs. Here we list the richest football players in the world. This is not a list of Players with the highest income. While most of the players on this list have earned money through football, few have also inherited fortunes, owned successful businesses, or invested wisely. Let’s begin the list.

5. Neymar Jr. – $200 Million

Neymar da Silva Santos Junior is a Brazilian footballer. Apart from his national team, Neymar currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain which bought him out from Barcelona in 2107 for a record fee of $263 million. PSG has again extended his contract for another 3 years till 2025 for $174 Million.

Neymar is probably the best Brazilian football player so far. In goal count, he is soon expected to leave Pele behind. However, only one feat can make him stand in the league of all-time greats, and that is – bringing home, a FIFA World Cup.

4. David Beckham – $450 Million

David Beckham is a retired English football player who started his soccer debut at the age of 17 when he started playing for Manchester United. During his 9 years of association with the ManU, the team managed to win 6 premiere league titles, FA Cup twice and the UEFA cup once. Beckham, a star midfielder by 2003, was traded to Real Madrid where he played for the next 5 years. In 2007 he joined LA Galaxy for the next 5 years. He played his final season for PSG after which he retired from being a professional footballer in 2013.

Beckham is considered one of the best midfielders. He scored numerous goals for his team. He is not just a sportsman but also a model and a businessman. He has bought a team in MLS (US’s Major League Soccer) expansion by spending $75 Million. The total net worth of this English sportsman is estimated at around $450 Million.[1]

For Beckham, it’s not just his income from clubs and endorsements, which made him wealthy. Fashion, modeling, and wise investments have also played a major role in earning him a spot in this list of the richest sportsmen in the world.

3. Lionel Messi – $600 Million

Messi is without a doubt, the best football player the world has ever seen. He recently added a Fifa world cup to complete his list of achievements. Messi has an enormous fan following across the globe. This has made Messi extremely attractive among the top brands. He enjoys lucrative endorsement deals from top brands like Adidas, Mastercard, Budweiser, and Pepsi.

For most of his career, Messi has played for Barcelona and dribbled away numerous goals, which count up to the north of 1000!! However, he has left Barcelona and joined Paris Saint Germain (PSG). The value of the contract is reported to be around $36 million per year.

Messi’s current net worth is estimated at around $600 million, which places him at No.4 in this list of the richest sportsmen in the world. He has got a lot of money which he likes to spend on luxurious cars, stunning properties, owning hotels, vacationing, and also Charity.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo – $690 Million

Christiano Ronaldo is also considered by many as the greatest of all time player in football. This Portuguese player plays for his national team. He was also associated with Manchester United for a long time. In 2023 however, Ronaldo joined a new club Al Nassr, which is backed by Saudi Arabia. This new contract already made him, the highest-paid athlete ever.

Ronaldo has a massive fan following which is the same as that of Messi, if not more. He has signed multiple endorsements with big brands like Nike, Armani, etc which are fetching him millions each month. In addition, he owns his own brand named CR7 which sells shoes, Fragrances, and Jeans, and also owns hotels.

1. Faiq Bolkiah – $20 Billion

It might have totally surprised you and you may not have even heard his name, but Faiq Bolkiah is the richest sportsman in the world. He is worth more than Ronaldo, Messi, Beckham, and Neymar combined. He is even richer than the club that he plays for – Chonburi.

His massive wealth comes from his royal ancestry. He is a member of the Brunei royal family and nephew of the Sultan of Brunei – Hassanal Bolkiah. As per the estimate, Faiq’s total net worth is more than $20 Billion!

Faiq Bolkiah has played professional football for clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, Leicester City, and currently Thai club Chonburi.