The American edition Forbes published a ranking of the world's highest-paid footballers. This was reported by UNN.
Details
Thus, the first place was taken by Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia) and Portugal national team striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who, according to the publication's estimates, earned $280 million in 2025: $230 million from his contract with Al-Nassr, and $50 million from advertising deals and other activities outside the football field.
The second position went to Argentine Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, USA) with $60 million and $70 million respectively, and the third to Frenchman Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad, Saudi Arabia - 100+4).
The top 10 list also included:
- Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) - $95 million (70+25);
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City) - $80 million (60+20);
- Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) - $60 million (40+20);
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - $55 million (35+20);
- Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr) - $54 million (50+4);
- Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) - $44 million (29+15);
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) - $43 million (33+10).
Recall
Recently, Cristiano Ronaldo became the top scorer in World Cup qualifiers in football history. The forward scored a brace in the 2026 World Cup qualifier match between the national teams of Portugal and Hungary. His first goal was the 40th of his career in World Cup qualifiers.