Portuguese star forward Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s highest-paid soccer player in 2023, according to a recent report by Forbes. Ronaldo is back on top after ranking third behind Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe and Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi in 2022.
Ronaldo’s earnings were boosted by a $200 million-a-year contract with the Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr. He earned an additional $60 million from endorsement for a total annual earnings of $260 million. This also makes him the highest-paid athlete in the world of sports.
Messi is a distant second among the highest-paid soccer players in the world, with a total of $135 million in earnings. A curiosity about Messi is that he earns less money from his contract with Inter ($65 million) than from endorsement deals ($70 million). The Argentinean is also the first MLS player to make the list since David Beckham in early 2012.
The move to Saudi Arabia helped Brazilian forward Neymar Jr. to get into the Top 3. Neymar earns $80 million from his contract with Al Hilal while getting another $32 in off-field earnings.
Mbappe, who topped the last year’s list, now finds himself fourth among soccer’s biggest earners. The PSG’s star earned $120 million in 2023, with $90 million from that figure being in soccer-related earnings.
Top 10 Highest-Paid Soccer Players in the World:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo ($260 million)
2. Lionel Messi ($135 million)
3. Neymar ($112 million)
4. Kylian Mbappé ($110 million)
5. Karim Benzema ($106 million)
6. Erling Haaland ($58 million)
7. Mohamed Salah ($53 million)
8. Sadio Mané ($52 million)
9. Kevin De Bruyne ($39 million)
10. Harry Kane ($36 million)
