What do Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, and Bale have in common? They are great soccer players but also the highest earners in the world’s game. Soccer is only as good as their players and these players are the world’s best.
Forbes recently put out an article highlighting the top earners in 2021 in world soccer, and it should surprise no one that 9 of the 10 players play in the top leagues in the world and the top clubs such as PSG, Real Madrid, and Manchester United.
Here is the Forbes list of the highest paid soccer players in 2021, find out who made the cut and whose bank account will be exploding come December!
10. Eden Hazard
Real Madrid star Eden Hazard comes in at number 10, with total earnings of $29 million per season. His wages are comprised of his salary and sponsorship deals with McDonald’s and endorsements with Nike and Nissan.
9. Gareth Bale
The Real Madrid winger is back after a season with Spurs, in total Bale has won 13 titles with Real Madrid. Bale’s total earnings are $32 million, $6 million which come from endorsements such as TaylorMade since 2020.
8. Paul Pogba
The Manchester United and France World Cup winner Paul Pogba is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. Pogba has total earnings of $34 million, in which he signed an endorsement deal with Adidas.
7. Andrés Iniesta
Still a top earner 37-year-old Spanish legend Andrés Iniesta who currently plays in Japan is at $35 million this year, $4 million of which come from endorsements and the rest salary. He signed a contract extension with Vissel Kobe.
6. Robert Lewandowski
Goal scoring machine Robert Lewandowski is one of soccer's most feared forwards, and he should be the Bayern Munich target man has scored over 200 club goals. Lewandowski makes $35 million a year, $8 million which come from endorsements with Nike, Huawei and Head & Shoulders, besides other brands.
5. Mohamed Salah
Liverpool’s Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah is the team's main target man and earns an estimated $41 million. One of the Premier League’s biggest stars millions of fans from the Muslim world tune in week in and week out to watch Salah play.
4. Kylian Mbappé
World Cup winner and Real Madrid target Kylian Mbappé comes in at number 4, at $43 million in 2021, $28 million comes from his PSG salary and the rest from endorsements such as EA Sports, who will have him on the cover of this years and next year’s game. Look for his salary to increase tenfold when Mbappé becomes a free agent in the summer.
3. Neymar
PSG’s Neymar earns $95 million of which $75 million is salary and $20 million in endorsements. Ney likes to get himself out there, he signed a deal with Puma, social media platform Triller, and is not shy about being in movies.
2. Lionel Messi
The great Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi continues to be at the top of his game on and off the field. His PSG salary is $75 million and his endorsements for the year will reach $35 million for a total of $110 million in 2021. Messi has endorsements of every kind and as long as he continues to put the ball into the back of the net look for those endorsements to increase.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
No soccer player has the ability to showcase himself as a product better than Cristiano Ronaldo. CR7 is everywhere and earns $55 million in endorsements plus another $70 million in salary. Ronaldo is the highest paid soccer player in the world at $125 million and has earned well over 1 billion in his career.
