Just a few days after being declared a billionaire, Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the world’s highest-paid soccer player. Like the Portuguese star, the second and third-ranked players also do not play in Europe.
Cristiano Ronaldo remains the highest-paid soccer player on the planet. This comes around a week after the Portuguese superstar was named a billionaire.
Big gap to rival Messi
According to the business and finance magazine, the 40-year-old striker’s income from Saudi Arabian top club Al-Nassr and sponsorship deals amounts to $280 million (approx. €240.7 million) in the current season. Over the past ten years, CR7, who a few days ago became Portugal’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup qualifying in a 2-2 draw with Hungary, has topped the ranking six times.
The former world footballer, whose net worth is estimated at around $1.4 billion by media and financial company Bloomberg, earns twice as much as his eternal rival Lionel Messi. The Argentine is reportedly earning $130 million this year, but advertising revenue is said to significantly exceed the 2022 World Cup winner’s salary at Inter Miami.
Behind the two long-standing influential figures in world soccer, Frenchman Karim Benzema of Al-Nassr’s league rival Al-Ittihad ranks third on the Forbes list with an income of $104 million. Players who currently earn their living—and everything that goes with it—in a European league only follow in fourth place. This spot is occupied by Benzema’s compatriot and 2018 World Cup winner Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid with $95 million, followed by Erling Haaland ($80 million) and Vinicius Junior ($60 million).
