Every year, Forbes reveals the ranking of the highest paid footballers in the world. Like last year, Cristiano Ronaldo (40 years old) comes out on top, who earns a fortune between his salary at Al-Nassr, his XXL sponsorship contracts and his various businesses. The Portuguese earned €239 million in 2025. Behind him, we find Lionel Messi (38 years old, €111 million) and Karim Benzema (37 years old, €89 million).
Then comes Kylian Mbappé (26 years old). The Frenchman received €81 million according to Forbes. KM10 is the first player in this ranking to play in Europe. Then come Erling Haaland (25 years old, €68 million) and Vinicius Jr (25 years old, €51 million). Lamine Yamal (18 years old) comes in tenth position with €37 million. But there is no doubt that the Barça crack will see this figure increase in the future.
The top 10 highest paid footballers in 2025 according to Forbes
1- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Al-Nassr) €239 million
2- Lionel Messi (Argentina/Inter Miami) €111 million
3- Karim Benzema (France/Al-Ittihad) €89 million
4- Kylian Mbappé (France/Real Madrid) €81 million
5- Erling Haaland (Norway/Manchester City) €68m
6- Vinicius Jr (Brazil/Real Madrid) €51m
7- Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool) €47 million
8- Sadio Mané (Senegal/Al-Nassr) €46 million
9- Jude Bellingham (England/Real Madrid) €38 million
10- Lamine Yamal (Spain/Barcelona) €37 million
