NEW DELHI: Cristiano Ronaldo has maintained his position as the highest-paid footballer according to Forbes’ 2025-26 rankings, with estimated earnings of $280 million from both on-field and off-field sources, marking his sixth time topping the list in the past decade and following Bloomberg’s recent announcement of him becoming football’s first billionaire.
Lionel Messi ranks second with $130 million, primarily from off-field earnings at Inter Miami, while Karim Benzema of Al Ittihad secures third place with $104 million annually.
Saudi Arabian clubs now have three representatives in the top 10, with Ronaldo and teammate Sadio Mane at Al Nassr, and Benzema at Al Ittihad. Mane ranks eighth with earnings of $54 million.
Neymar, who previously ranked third with $110 million while at Al Hilal, has returned to Santos in Brazil and now earns $38 million, mostly from off-field contracts.
The English Premier League, despite its financial dominance and record summer transfer spending of £2.6 billion ($3.5 billion), only features two players in the top 10: Erling Haaland of Manchester City in fifth and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in seventh.
Spain’s La Liga leads with four representatives, including Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe in fourth, Vinicius Jr in sixth, and Jude Bellingham in ninth. Barcelona’s young talent Lamine Yamal completes the top 10 with $43 million.
“Combined, the world’s ten highest-paid soccer players are set to earn an estimated $945 million during the 2025-26 campaign,” Forbes stated.
Highest paid footballers for 2025-26 (as per Forbes):
Cristiano Ronaldo – $280 million
Lionel Messi – $130 million
Karim Benzema – $104 million
Kylian Mbappe – $95 million
Erling Haaland – $80 million
Vinicius Jr – $60 million
Mohamed Salah – $55 million
Sadio Mane – $54 million
Jude Bellingham – $54 million