Money has been a constant factor behind the major changes in this world and the world of sports is also influenced by it. Football, the most loved game in the world, has changed a lot in recent times and again, money played a major role in it. Nowadays, clubs spend more on their teams and give elite players lucrative contracts to play for them. As a result, in modern times, footballers earn a hefty amount. There are many examples of players who earn hundreds of billions of dollars. If you want to know how much your favorite player earns. Let’s delve into this article, where we will unveil the list of top 10 richest football players in the world who are still playing.
Table of Content
| David De Gea Net Worth |
| Luka Modric Net Worth |
| Robert Lewandowski Net Worth |
| Mo Salah Net Worth |
| Antione Griezemann Net Worth |
| Paul Pogba Net Worth |
| Kylian Mbappe Net Worth |
| Neymar Junior Net Worth |
| Cristiano Ronaldo Net Worth |
| Lionel Messi Net Worth |
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10. David De Gea
David De Gea Quintana, better known as De Gea, is a Spanish goalkeeper. He is considered one of the best shot stoppers among the currently playing goalkeepers. David De Gea is considered a Manchester United legend, having served the club for more than 10 years.
De Gea started his career with Atletico Madrid; from there, he joined Manchester United and currently he is without a club. He made his national team debut in 2014, playing in the World Cups of 2014 & 2018 and the European Championship of 2016 before losing his place to Unai Simon in the Euros of 2020.
Net Worth
Although David De Gea is currently a free agent, he is still in 10th place on the list of the richest footballers in the world (active) with a net worth of $75 million.
9. Luka Modric
The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner and Croatian football legend, Luka Modric, is in 9th place on the list of top 10 richest football players in the world. The Croatian midfielder made his senior debut in 2003 for Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb. In 2008, he moved to Tottenhem Hotspurs; from there, he moved to Real Madrid in 2012, where he achieved his legendary status.
Modric made his international debut in 2006 in a friendly against Argentina. He appeared in four world cups for Croatia in 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022, in which he took his team to the finals in 2018, winning the Golden Ball Award.
Net Worth
The 38 year old midfielder is the 9th richest player on the list of top 10 richest football players in the world, with a net worth of $75 million.
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8. Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski is considered one of the greatest strikers of this generation. The Polish striker currently plays for Barcelona and has very high wages and many sponsorship deals, which is why he is in 8th place on the list of top 10 richest football players. Robert started his senior career with Delta Warsaw in 2005, then moved to Legia Warsaw II, Znicz Pruszków II, Lech Poznań until he moved to the German side Borussia Dortmund in 2010.
From there, Lewandowski never looked back and became a phenomenon. He signed with Bayern Munich in 2014 until 2022, then he moved to Barca. The Polish striker made his national team debut in 2008 and went on to become captain of the team in 2013. He plays in the 2018 & 2022 FIFA World Cups and the 2012, 2016 and 2020 European Championships with Poland.
Net Worth
Robert Lewandowski is one of the highest earners in the football world. Currently, he is the 8th highest-earning player on the list of top 10 richest football players in the world.
7. Mo Salah
Mo Salah is one of the richest footballers in the world, thanks to his on field brilliance. Regarded as one of the greatest right wingers to ever play in the Premier League, Salah has always been an attractive figure for sponsors, which earns him a place in the list of top 10 richest football players. Salah made his senior debut in 2010 for Al Mokawloon Al Arab, then moved to Basel in 2012 and Chelsea in 2014, where he spent most of his time on loan to Fiorentina and Roma.
In 2017, he moved to Liverpool and became one of the best forwards in the world. In 2011, he made his senior international debut for Egypt and became captain of the team in 2019. Salah played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and finished as runners-up in the 2017 and 2022 AFCONs with Egypt.
Net Worth
The Liverpool talisman is 7th among the top 10 richest football players in the world, with a net worth of $90 million.
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6. Antione Griezemann
Antoine Griezemann is one of the best forwards to ever play for France. Currently, he is playing for Atletico Madrid and is regarded as one of the best forwards to ever play in La Liga. No wonder he is on the list of top 10 richest footballers in the world in 2024. He started his senior career with Real Sociedad in 2009, in 2014 he moved to Atletico.
He had a short spell in Barcelona between 2019 and 2022 before coming back to Atletico Madrid in 2023. In 2014, Antonio made his senior team debut for France; since then, he has been a regular starter for the team, winning the FIFA World Cup 2018 and finishing runners-up in the 2016 Euros.
Net Worth
The French No. 7 jersey holder is currently ranked 6th among the top 10 richest football players in the world, with a Net Worth of $90 million.
5. Paul Pogba
Once known as the upcoming GOAT of the game, the French midfielder never reached the ceiling of his potential. Still, he is considered one of the best players to have ever played this game. This is why Pogba is one of the top 10 richest football players in the world because he has always been a hot property and clubs and sponsors lurk over him.
Pogba made his senior debut in the 2011-12 Premier League season for Manchester United. Next season, he moved to Juventus and made his return to Manchester United in 2016 until 2022; then he again moved to Juventus. Pogba made his senior national debut in 2013. He was a crucial part of the squad that won the 2018 World Cup. Currently, Pogba is serving a four-year ban due to doping charges.
Net Worth
Before serving the ban, Pogba was not having a good spell at Juventus due to injury problems, but he is still in 5th place among the top 10 richest footballers in the world in 2024.
4. Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe is one of the greatest talents of the upcoming generation and arguably the future GOAT of the game. He is the best player in the current crop of players. The French captain made his senior team debut in 2015 for Monaco before moving to PSG in 2017. Known for his speed, dribbling and finishing, Mbappe has done wonders in a very short career.
In 2017, at the age of 18, he made his international debut and after that became a very important part of the French squad that won the World Cup. He was the second teenager, after Pele, to score in a World Cup final. Mbappe won the UEFA Nations League with France in 2021 and took his team to the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Net Worth
No doubt, Mbappe is 4th on the list of top 10 richest football players in the world because his transfer to PSG was the second most expensive transfer ever in football. This Frech superstar has a net worth of $180 million.
3. Neymar Junior
Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, or Neymar Junior, is the most expensive player in the history of football, so it’s quite obvious that he must be one of the richest footballers in the world. The Brazilian sensation is widely considered the best player of this generation, after Messi and Ronaldo.
He made his senior team debut for Santos in 2009 and joined Barcelona in 2013 before leaving for PSG in 2017 as the most expensive player ever. He joined Al Hilal in 2023 and has played only three games so far due to injuries. Neymar made his debut for Brazil in 2010 and won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics Gold.
Net Worth
On the list of top 10 richest football players in the world, Neymar is a constant figure, floating around in the 3rd to 4th positions regularly. In 2024, he was the third richest football player in the world, with a net worth of $250 million.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo, the name that does not need an introduction, arguably the greatest player ever to serve this game, the greatest goal scorer of this generation. It is obvious that such a player would be one of the richest footballers in the world. Ronaldo made his senior debut in 2002 for Sporting CP, moved to Manchester United in 2003. His spell at United was the first time the world witnessed glimpses of his greatness.
In 2009, he moved to Real Madrid and became a legend of the game before leaving for Juventus in 2018. He moved to Manchester United again in 2021 before leaving for Al Nassar with more than $200 million per year. He made his debut for Portugal in 2003 at the age of 18 and won Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League 2019. He is the leading goal scorer in international and club football.
Net Worth
After joining Al Nassar, Ronaldo became the richest footballer in the world for some time, but currently he is second on the list of top 10 richest football players in the world. At the current time, he has a net worth of $600 million.
1. Lionel Messi
Arguably one of the greatest footballers to ever live, one of the most complete players to ever grace the game, Lionel Messi is not just the richest footballer in the world but one of the richest sportspersons as well. Messi made his club football debut for Barcelona in 2004 and ever since he has been an integral part of Barcelona until 2021, when he left for PSG. Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023 as a free agent.
He made his debut for Argentina in 2005 and took an early retirement in 2016 due to the heartbreak of never winning an international trophy. But within a year, he made a comeback in international football and won the Copa America 2021, the FIFA World Cup 2022 and the CONMEBOL Cup of Champions 2022.
Net Worth
Lionel Messi sits at the top of the list of top 10 richest football players in the world, with a net worth of $650 million. Modern football has been changing drastically and has become a money centric sport. Clubs with big financial backing can create a situation where the world might see footballers with more wages than the current highest earners. In such scenarios, we can see drastic changes in this list of top 10 richest football players in the world in the coming years.