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Richest soccer players
A Netflix documentary and a metaverse game are just two examples of how the celebrations of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar, have reminded us that soccer is the most loved sport in the world. Great players earn top-tier salaries. But who are the richest?
Stacker compiled networth data and life and career insights using data from Celebrity Net Worth, ESPN and other sources. The data was based on data from Celebrity Net Worth. Data points include net wealth, salary, age and nationality. Dave Whelan, for example, has a considerable net worth that is not directly related to playing soccer. Some players went on to manage after leaving the pitch.
The top-ranked players are mainly from the top leagues or teams, such as those in France, Spain, Germany and Italy. These top players are paid the most by the top teams, such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Milan and Manchester United.
All of the wealthiest soccer players are men. As with many other sports there is a wide gender pay gap in soccer. Bloomberg Law research shows that women still make 83 cents per dollar for every dollar that men earn. Last February ,…
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#15. Samuel Eto’o
– Net worth $95 million
Salary: $26,000,000
Cameroon is the country with the highest nationality
– Date of Birth: Mar 10, 1981 (41 year old).
– Teams: Real Madrid (Spain), Leganés (Spain), Espanyol (Spain), Mallorca (Spain), Barcelona (Spain), Inter Milan (Italy), Anzhi Makhachkala (Russia), Chelsea (United Kingdom), Everton (United Kingdom), Sampdoria (Italy), Antalyaspor (Turkey), Konyaspor (Turkey), Qatar SC (Qatar)
After a 22-year career, four Championship League titles and an Olympic gold medal, Samuel Eto’o has retired in 2019. Although Eto’o played on fields all over the globe, he also encountered racism while playing on the pitch. He was subject to derogatory chanting, racist comments, and even some physical abuse. When he was 16, the Cameroonian joined Real Madrid’s academy system and is now one of the most respected strikers.
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#14. Raúl González Blanco (tie)
– Net worth $100 million
Salary: Not Available
Spain – Nationality
Date of birth: 1977 (45 year old).
– Teams: Real Madrid (Spain), Schalke 04 (Germany), Al Sadd (Qatar), New York Cosmos (United States)
Raúl González Blanco’s fame is so stratospheric that he’s simply known as Raúl. Pep Guardiola, a football manager, called him “the greatest player in Spanish football history.” He was a professional player for Real Madrid Castilla in 1994. After 448 goals in his career, he retired from soccer as a New York Cosmos player. Blanco was Madrid’s leading scorer from 1995-96 through 2003-04. He scored 20 goals or more every time. Blanco won six La Liga titles as well as three UEFA Champions League titles.
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#14. Philipp Lahm (tie)
– Net worth $100 million
Salary: 14 million
– German Nationality
– Date of Birth: 1983 (39 Years Old)
– Teams: Bayern Munich (Germany), VfB Stuttgart (Germany)
Philipp Lahm played fullback and defense midfielder for both the German national team and Bayern Munich up to the end of 2017. Lahm served on the World Cup teams in 2010 and 2006, but he was famously dismissed after Germany’s win against Argentina in 2014. Adi Joseph of USA Today Sports called him “one among the greatest players in German History” and said that he miraculously retired from playing despite being a defensive player.
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#14. Pelé (tie)
– Net worth $100 million
Salary: Not Available
– Nationality: Brazil
– Birth date: 1940 (82 Years old).
– Teams: Santos (Brazil), New York Cosmos (United States)
Perhaps one of the most recognizable names in soccer, Pelé was a Brazilian soccer player for two decades with three World Cup wins before joining the New York Cosmos. Pele learned soccer from kicking a rolled up sock filled with rags on the streets of Brazil. He eventually found mentorship under Waldemar De Brito, a former Brazilian soccer player. He has scored 1,283 goals at all tournaments (although the number can vary depending on who you talk to).
With two goals, he was the first to be in the spotlight in Sweden during the 1958 World Cup. He is also credited with instigating many soccer stars to play in America. In 1975, he joined New York Cosmos. Pelé received the International Peace Award in 1978 and was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999. A Pelé Museum now exists in Santos, Brazil.
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#14. Eden Hazard (tie)
– Net worth $100 million
Salary: $15,000,000
– Nationality: Belgium
– Date of Birth: 1991 (31 Years Old)
– Teams: Lille B (France), Lille (France), Chelsea (United Kingdom), Real Madrid (Spain)
Eden Hazard, a Belgian soccer player, plays for Real Madrid as well as the Belgian national football team. However, rumours suggest that Hazard wants to return to the Premier League with Newcastle or Aston Villa. Hazard has been awarded the Premier League twice, the Champions League once and numerous other honors. The Belgian winger/midfielder is captain of the team. He will be earning more as his career progresses.
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#13. Zinedine Zidane (tie)
– Net Worth: $120 Million
Salary: 14 million
France – Nationality
– Birth date: 1972 (50 year old).
– Teams: Cannes (France), Bordeaux (France), Juventus (Italy), Real Madrid (France)
Zinedine Zidane (also known as Zizou) was born to Algerian immigrants to France. He learned how to play the game on the streets in Marseille. At 14 years of age, he was discovered and coached by the French Football Federation. Three years later, he made a professional debut at Cannes. He signed for Real Madrid in 2001 for over $66 million in transfer fees. After he was done with Real Madrid, he moved to the coaching team, managing Real Madrid. He led Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League victories.
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#13. Mesut ?–zil (tie)
– Net Worth: $120 Million
Salary: $24 Million
– German Nationality
– Date of Birth: 1988 (34 Years Old)
– Teams: Schalke 04 (Germany), Werder Bremen (Germany), Real Madrid (Spain), Arsenal (United Kingdom), Fenerbahçe (Turkey), Istanbul Başakşehir (Turkey)
Mesut ?–zil certainly knows the finer things in life. He reportedly owns about £800,000 worth of automobiles and an extravagant six-bedroom home in London. After the birth of their child, ?–zil and his wife funded 1,000 surgeries for underprivileged children to mark the occasion in 2020. Arsenal paid him an estimated $24million annually. After experiencing racism, the German outfielder quit the national team in 2018. He has also been active in esports. M10 eSports was founded in 2018 and competes against Fortnite and EA Sports’ FIFA.
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#13. José Mourinho (tie)
– Net Worth: $120 Million
Salary: $27,000,000
Portugal – Nationality
Date of Birth: 1963 (59 Years Old)
– Teams: Rio Ave B (Portugal), Belenenses B (Portugal), Sesimbra (Portugal), Comércio e Indústria (Portugal)
José Mourinho is a veteran Portuguese football manager who has overseen Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Porto before joining Roma in 2021 and winning 25 trophies along the way. He was named coach of the century by the Portuguese Football Federation in 2015. He also holds many Guinness World Records including the title for the “youngest football manger to play 100 UEFA Champions League matches.”
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#13. Andrés Iniesta (tie)
– Net Worth: $120 Million
– Salary: $33,000,000
Spain – Nationality
– Date of Birth: 1984 (38 years).
– Teams: Barcelona B (Spain), Barcelona (Spain), Vissel Kobe (Japan)
After almost 22 years with Barcelona, Andrés Iniesta signed for $30 million annually to join Vissel Kobe through 2023. His high salary, active status and advantage over the other players in the 13th place gives him an advantage. He has won four Champions Leagues with Barcelona and the 2010 World Cup. Iniesta, despite sustaining a serious injury in 2020 has continued to play for Japan and continues his passion for the game. He said that the day he doesn’t feel the emotions of meeting fans or my teammates is the day I should stop playing football.
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#12. Paul Pogba
Net Worth: $125 Million
Salary: $33,000,000
France – Nationality
Date of Birth: 1993 (29 Years Old)
– Teams: Manchester United, United Kingdom; Juventus, Italy
Paul Pogma, a midfielder, plays for Juventus as well as the French national team. Pogma earns approximately $28 million per annum in base salary, and as much as $10 million annually in endorsements. Pogba is a sponsor of Adidas and has enough starpower to command an Amazon Prime series called “The Pogmentary”. It explores his career and the decision to leave Manchester United. He also has luxury real estate in Miami, Cheshire.
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#11. #11.
– Net Worth: $130 Million
– Salary: 5 Million
France – Nationality
Date of Birth: 1977 (45 Years Old)
– Teams: Monaco B (Monaco), Monaco (Monaco), Juventus (Italy), Arsenal (United Kingdom), Barcelona (Spain), New York Red Bulls (United States)
Thierry Henry, a French retired player, is best known for his time at Arsenal in 2000s where he won seven trophies. He won the Golden Boot an incredible four times, setting a new record. He was instrumental in the French winning the 1998 World Cup as well as the 2000 European Championship. He was a manager of several teams, including Monaco’s Impact (now CF Montreal). Henry was appointed manager of the Impact in 2021. Henry was a professional player who had various deals with Nike and Reebok. He has also been a brand ambassador for Gillette and Beats headphones.
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#10. Gareth Bale
– Net Worth: $145 Million
– Salary: $33 Million
– Nationality: Wales
Date of birth: 1989 (33 year old).
– Teams – Southampton (United Kingdom), Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid (Spain), Los Angeles FC(United States).
Gareth Bale, a three-time Spanish champion, was a five-time UEFA Champions League Winner with Real Madrid. Bale was born in Cardiff, Wales. He started his career as a defender, but quickly became a striker for the Welsh national football team. Bale earns approximately $9 million from endorsements by brands such as Adidas, EA Sports and Lucozade as well as $185,000 for each sponsored Instagram post.
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#9. Kylian Mbappé
– Net worth $150 million
– Salary: $53 Million
France – Nationality
– Birth date: 1998 (23 Years old).
– Teams: Monaco II (Monaco), Monaco (Monaco), Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Kylian Mbappé is a French national player who is already one of the most paid on the planet. Apart from his $53 million salary, Mbappé also earns $10 million in endorsements as of 2022. Mbappé helped his team win the FIFA World Cup in 2018, donating his entire $500,000 World Cup bonus to Premiers de Cordée association, a charity that benefits children living with disabilities who want to play sports. In 2022, he signed a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain for $266.5 million over three-years.
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#8. Ronaldo
– Net Worth: $160 Million
Salary: Not Available
– Nationality: Brazil
Date of birth: 1976 (46 year old).
– Teams: Cruzeiro, Brazil (PSV), Barcelona (Spain), Inter Milan(Italy), Real Madrid Madrid (Spain), AC Milan Milan (Italy), Corinthians.
Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima is a soccer legend. He was the FIFA Player of Year three times, and was awarded the Ballon d’Or twice. He made his debut at Cruzeiro, Brazil at age 17 and scored 12 goals over 14 matches. Then he joined a Dutch side, and then went on to play for Barcelona. This was an amazing season in which he scored 47 goals in 49 games. He was also named FIFA Player Of the Year. Ronaldo bought Real Valladolid (La Liga) in 2018. After 18 seasons of knee injuries, he retired in 2021.
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#7. Wayne Rooney
– Net worth $170 million
Salary: $26,000,000
– The United Kingdom’s Nationality
– Date of Birth: 1985 (37 year old)
– Teams Everton (United Kingdom), Manchester United, D.C. United (United States), Derby County(United Kingdom).
Wayne Rooney quit D.C. United in order to be a player-coach at Derby County, an English Football League Championship club. He will retire in 2020. One year later, he became the full-time manager. Rooney later returned as D.C. United’s manager in 2022. This move earned the league a $25,000 penalty for violating their diversity policy. Rooney holds the records for being the English national team’s all-time top scorer and scoring most Premier League goals for one club. Rooney signed multimillion-pound book deals that didn’t sell; he has also had endorsements from Nike, Samsung and EA Sports.
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#6. Zlatan Ibrahimović
– Net Worth: $190 Million
35 million for the Salary
Sweden – Nationality
– Birth date: 1981 (41 years).
– Teams: Malmö FF (Sweden), Ajax (The Netherlands), Juventus (Italy), Inter Milan (Italy), Barcelona (Spain), AC Milan (Italy), Paris Saint-Germain (France), Manchester United (United Kingdom), LA Galaxy (United States)
Zlatan Ibrahimović is a Swedish striker for AC Milan. He was the captain of the Swedish national soccer team in 2012, and he leads his country with 62 goals in 116 matches. A statue of him, standing at 8 feet 9 inches tall, graces Malmo’s stadium. This is where his career began. He is currently on a contract with Milan until June 30, 2023. However, he has been sidelined by a knee injury. “I have a big passion for my game,” Ibrahimović, who does not plan to retire, told CNN in an October 2022 interview.
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#5. Neymar
– Net Worth: $200 Million
Salary: $78 Million
– Nationality: Brazil
– Birth date: 1992 (30 year old).
– Teams: Santos (Brazil), Barcelona (Spain), Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Brazilian soccer star Neymar earns one of the highest salaries. His base salary amounts to $78 million. He earns additional $20 to $40 million through endorsements or bonuses. Nike, Volkswagen and many other endorsements have been signed by Neymar. He made his professional debut at 17 in 2009. He has been a part of the Brazilian national soccer team and the Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain.
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#4. #4. Dave Whelan
Net Worth: $210 Million
Salary: Not Available
– Nationality England
Date of Birth: 1936 (85 Years Old)
– Teams: Blackburn Rovers (United Kingdom), Crewe Alexandra (United Kingdom)
Whelan played basketball from 1956 to66, but his true calling was in commerce. Whelan opened a number of supermarkets known as Whelan’s discount stores, which he later sold. Then he bought a Wigan sporting and fishing shop, which he transformed into JJB, the U.K’s second largest retail chain. After returning to soccer, he purchased Wigan Athletic in 1995. He also took them to the Premier League 2005. Wigan Atheltic won the FA Cup 2013 as well. In 2015, he resigned as chairman of the club amid furore over racist remarks.
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#3. David Beckham
– Net worth $450 million
– Salary: 50 million
– Nationality England
– Birth date: 1975 (47 Years old).
– Teams – Manchester United (United Kingdom), Preston North End(United Kingdom), Real Madrid Madrid (Spain), LA Galaxy, AC Milan (Italy), Paris Saint-Germaine (France).
David Beckham, an English soccer player, was married to Victoria Beckham, a singer and designer. From 2000 to 2006, he served as the England national team captain. He signed a five year, $1 million-a-week contract with LA Galaxy in 2007, making him the highest-paid Major League Soccer player of that time. Beckham heads a group that also owns Inter Miami. Beckham bought a larger stake in the team valued at $150 million by 2021.
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#2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Net Worth: $500 Million
Salary: $70,000,000
Portugal – Nationality
Date of Birth: 1985 (37 Years Old)
– Teams: Sporting CP, Manchester United (United Kingdom), Real Madrid Madrid (Spain), Juventus Italy
Cristiano Ronaldo could be the only professional athlete to earn more than $1 billion annually in endorsements and salary. He has already earned over $100 million each year. Ronaldo is also a part of Portugal’s national team.
Ronaldo started his professional career with Machester United in 2003. He made great performances there. After nine years with Machester United, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid for a $131million transfer fee. He left to join Juventus in 2018 after nine years. He returned to Manchester United in 2022. Ronaldo is a five-time Ballon d’Or winner and signed a $1 billion lifetime deal with Nike in 2016—a lynchpin in his dizzying assortment of endorsements.
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#1. Lionel Messi
– Net Worth: $600 Million
Salary: $75,000,000
– Argentina: Nationality
Date of Birth: 1987 (35 Years Old)
– Teams: Barcelona (Spain), Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Lionel Messi is both the highest-paid professional soccer player and professional athlete in general. Messi earns over $168 million annually in average salary plus $40 million in endorsements. He plays forward for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 and is the captain of Argentina’s national team. Messi was a key player in Argentina’s 2014 World Cup victory, but he has not won a single one. He is the most prolific player for one team, scoring 672 goals with Barcelona. Messi is also a philanthropist. He founded his own charity in order to improve education and access to health care for children from underserved areas.
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Stacker compiled net wealth data and life and career insights for the most wealthy soccer players worldwide using Celebrity Net Worth and other sources.
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