Who is the highest paid football player in the world? 2024's top 10 revealed

The highest paid footballers in the world in 2024 have been revealed in a list compiled by Forbes.

Unsurprisingly the list features some of the most talented players in the world and four of the top 10 currently play their football in Saudi Arabia.

Spending from the country on football has come down considerably but players that have moved over there in the past couple of years or so are still on massively high wages.

The top 10 also has three players from the Premier League, two from La Liga and one from the MLS.

The list takes into account salaries made from their football clubs along with the money made from endorsements, memorabilia and other business ventures.

From 10-1, these are the top 10 highest paid footballers this year.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are all on the list of the top 10 highest paid footballers in the world / Hamad I Mohammed, Reuters; Susana Vera, Reuters; Rich Storry, Getty Images

10. Kevin de Bruyne, Manchester City - $39m

de Bruyne is understood to make $35m on the field and $4m off it with brand endorsements including Nike and McDonald's.

The Belgian international reportedly turned down a move to Saudi Arabia in the summer as his family is settled in Manchester but that may not stop Saudi teams from coming back to try and tempt him away at some point in the future.

9. Sadio Mane, Al Nassr - $52m

The former Liverpool winger makes $48m on the field and $4m off it; he uses his money to help poverty stricken areas of Senegal, having funded a number of infrastructure projects and implementing 4G mobile coverage.

In 2019, he said he donates €70 per month to every resident living in a "very poor region of Senegal".

8. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool - $53m

Salah has less than a year remaining on his contract at Liverpool and has previously hinted this season could be his last at Anfield.

The Egyptian's star shines across the Premier League, North Africa and the Middle East having worked with a number of high-profile brands including Adidas, Mountain View Egypt and Pepsi.

He is said to make $35m on the pitch and $18m off it.

7. Vinicius Jr, Real Madrid - $55m

The Brazilian superstar makes $40m on the field and $15m off it and is the only new player in the top 10.

As well as his success on the pitch, Vinicius Jr has become a marketable figure, especially in Latin America, and has 11 brand deals.

6. Erling Haaland, Manchester City - $60m

Every football fan knows how devastating Haaland has been in front of goal for Manchester City since joining in 2022 and his performances pick up the pay-check to go with them.

He makes $46m on the pitch and $14m off it.

5. Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid - $90m

The French superstar made his dream move to Real Madrid from PSG in the summer - while things haven't quite gone to plan on the pitch as of yet, he is still earning $70m from the Spanish giants and $20m off it through his own ventures.

The 25-year-old is still embroiled in a legal battle with PSG over $60m of unpaid wages.

4. Karim Benzema, Al Ittihad - $104m

The former Real Madrid striker and Ballon d'Or winner makes an eye-watering $100m on the pitch and $4m off it.

The 36-year-old's first season in Saudi Arabia saw him score just nine times in 21 games due to injury but he's started this season a lot stronger.

3. Neymar, Al Hilal - $110m

The Brazilian makes less than Benzema on the pitch ($80m) but makes a lot more off it ($30m).

Neymar has barely played for Al Hilal due to injury though after tearing his ACL which saw him sidelined for most of last season

His current contract reportedly has perks like access to a private jet, a fleet of luxury cars, a mansion for staff and the right to live with his girlfriend with would otherwise be restricted but it expires at the end of the current season.

2. Lionel Messi, Inter Miami - $135m

The 37-year-old makes more than anyone else off the field with $75m and makes $65m on it for David Beckham's MLS side; he has a contract in place for 2025 and an option for 2026.

Messi has a number of partners, such as Adidas, Apple TV and Konami, and a seismic social media following.

He also recently started his own production company, called 525 Rosario, named after his Argentina hometown and the address of his family home.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr - $285m

Cristiano Ronaldo is by far and away the highest paid football player in the world, earning more than double what Messi does.

The 39-year-old makes $65m off the pitch through brand deals and a whopping $225m on it.

He's not just the most followed footballer on social media - he's the most popular athlete on the planet and has recently launched a YouTube channel; he made 1m subscribers in less than 90 minutes.

Ronaldo has his own CR brand along with other partnerships with the likes of Herbalife, Nike and Whoop.

His contract at Al Nassr expires at the end of the current season.

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