Al Nassr
2025 List: Ten Biggest Earners in World Football
Cristiano Ronaldo leads Forbes 2025 ranking of the ten highest-paid footballers; key figures listed.
Forbes released its 2025 ranking Thursday of the ten highest-paid soccer players, with Cristiano Ronaldo topping the list for the sixth time in a decade. The ten players combined earn close to $1 billion, according to the estimates presented.
The youngest entrant is Lamine Yamal. Age 18, club Barcelona, Spain, he is the only player under 20 on the list. On-field earnings are listed at $33 million and off-field earnings $10 million. Yamal recently signed a new contract with Barcelona and was given the No.10 shirt. Off the pitch he signed sponsorships with Beats by Dre, adidas, Powerade and more.
Jude Bellingham appears as a new top-10 entry. Age 22, club Real Madrid, England, his on-field earnings are $29 million and off-field $15 million. Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid in 2023 yielded a Champions League and La Liga double in his first season and he was named an EA Sports FC cover star. He has missed notable time to begin the season and was absent from England’s recent camp after recovering from shoulder surgery. He has partnerships with adidas and Louis Vuitton.
Sadio Mané, age 33 at Al Nassr, Senegal, is listed with $50 million on-field and $4 million off-field. His contract is set to expire at the end of the season. Mohamed Salah, age 33 of Liverpool, Egypt, shows $35 million on-field and $20 million off-field; he helped Liverpool to a league title and helped Egypt qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Vinícius Júnior, age 25 at Real Madrid, Brazil, has $40 million on-field and $20 million off-field. Erling Haaland, age 25 at Manchester City, Norway, is at $60 million on-field and $20 million off-field and already has 12 goals this season with a Premier League record listed in the report.
Kylian Mbappé, age 26 at Real Madrid, France, is listed with $70 million on-field and $25 million off-field. Karim Benzema, age 37 at Al-Ittihad, France, shows $100 million on-field and $4 million off-field. Lionel Messi, age 38 at Inter Miami, Argentina, has $60 million on-field and $70 million off-field. Cristiano Ronaldo, age 40 at Al Nassr, Portugal, tops the list with $230 million on-field and $50 million off-field and a noted social-media reach cited in the report.
