Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have once again made headlines, but this time for their earnings. Ronaldo has been named the highest-paid soccer player for the current year, surpassing Messi. This raises curiosity about who else made the top three alongside these two legends.
As reported by financial magazine Forbes, Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to earn $230 million with Al Nassr for the 2025–26 season, plus an additional $50 million from endorsements. His total projected income for the year is $280 million, marking his sixth time topping the list of the world’s highest-paid footballers over the last decade.
Lionel Messi ranks second among top soccer earners, with an estimated total income of $130 million. This figure includes roughly $60 million from his contract with Inter Miami and about $70 million from endorsement deals.
Completing the top three is Karim Benzema, a former teammate of Ronaldo at Real Madrid. He is expected to earn around $100 million on the field with Al Ittihad, alongside an additional $4 million from sponsorships, according to Forbes.
Karim Benzema of Al Ittihad looks on during a Saudi Pro League match. (Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Who rounds out the top 10
Forbes noted two changes in this year’s top 10 list. Neymar Jr and Kevin De Bruyne have dropped out after recent moves. Neymar took a pay cut to return to Santos, his childhood club, while De Bruyne left Manchester City for Napoli, also accepting a lower salary.
The rest of the list features:
- 4- Kylian Mbappe – $95 million
- 5- Erling Haaland – $80 million
- 6- Vinicius Jr. – $60 million
- 7- Mohamed Salah – $55 million
- 8- Sadio Mane – $54 million
- 9- Jude Bellingham – $44 million
- 10- Lamine Yamal – $43 million
Lamine Yamal’s inclusion marks a historic moment, as the 18-year-old Barcelona player becomes the youngest ever to enter Forbes’ top 10 in the list’s 22-year history.