The Seven Richest Soccer Players in History

Whether you love them or hate them, the best soccer players are compensated with enormous sums of money.

They can increase their income by succeeding at important competitions, such as the FIFA World Cup in Qatar this year. If you are interested in keeping up with the games and players, it helps to have an updated soccer schedule.

According to reports, Lionel Messi will receive additional endorsements that will increase his income by 20% if Argentina wins the trophy.

However, big money isn’t just made by current players. Legends (and average players) from the past can also make a lot of money after they retire.

The top seven soccer players by estimated net worth are listed below, along with their rankings.

7. Zlatan Ibrahimovi, worth $190 million

Nobody knows this better than Zlatan himself, who has been one of the world’s most captivating strikers for the past 15 years.

He has played for numerous international teams, such as Barcelona, Manchester United, LA Galaxy, PSG, and the current AC Milan.

Zlatan, who is 40 years old, continues to earn €7 million ($8.3 million) annually, making him the highest-paid player for AC Milan. And he managed to get that without gambling at jocuri pacanele cu fructe gratis

Additionally adding to his wealth, he has collaborated with companies like Nike, Volvo, and Nivea.

6. Neymar — $200 million

He was the most expensive player ever when PSG splashed the cash to sign him to a deal worth €222 million ($261.5 million) to bring him to Paris.

Alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, he was a vital component of the Barcelona attack before moving to France.

Neymar makes a significant salary at PSG, earning around $42.5 million a year, or roughly $817,000 per week, as you might expect.

The Brazilian has agreements in place with Puma, Red Bull, and other sponsors, so sponsorships are also in abundance. There are about $25 million worth of sponsorships each year.

5. David Beckham: $400 Million 

No one will be surprised at all if David Beckham is listed as one of the wealthiest soccer players in the world.

You probably already know how many sponsorship agreements the former England captain has, unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of decades. 

Adidas, Pepsi, Konami, Haig Club, Samsung, Maserati, and Jaguar are just a few of “Golden Balls”‘ sponsors, but the list goes on and on.

As a player, he was paid exceptionally well, with five years at LA Galaxy earning him a total of $50 million.

However, David Beckham’s motivations go beyond monetary gain.

He founded the charity Malaria No More UK and serves as an ambassador for UNICEF. Becks, congratulations.

4. Lionel Messi, $400 million

Lionel Messi ranks fourth among the wealthiest soccer players. He spent the majority of his career at the Camp Nou, where he rose to fame among Barcelona supporters.

To join Neymar and Kylian Mbappé (the player earning the highest yearly salary), he made a team switch in 2021 and joined PSG.

Although the next player on this list might disagree, many people consider Messi to be the best player of all time.

He is reportedly paid about $859,000 per week, making him one of the highest-paid soccer players in the world. Additionally, when he joined PSG, he received a signing-on bonus of $29.5 million.

As you might anticipate, companies are vying to partner with Messi, and he has agreements with Adidas, Pepsi, and other companies.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo: $450 million

The next player on the list is Cristiano Ronaldo, a player who competes with Lionel Messi for the title of greatest player ever.

The former five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who is now back at Manchester United, may be losing steam on the field but is still a dominant force in the business world. 

Currently, Ronaldo makes about £500,000 ($691,000) per week in England, which many fans consider to be a great deal.

He has numerous endorsement deals, including ones with Nike and Tag Heuer, making him the most marketable player in soccer along with Messi. 

Ronaldo ranks third on our list and is believed to be worth close to half a billion dollars, in part due to his promotional pulling power.

2. Mathieu Flamini, $14 billion

Compared to some of his coworkers on this list, Mathieu Flamini, a former France international, had a very good, if not glittering, career.

Over the course of his playing career, the no-nonsense midfielder, who played for some of Europe’s top clubs, including Milan and Arsenal, undoubtedly earned millions of dollars.

However, Flamini didn’t really hit the big time financially until he decided to hang up his boots.

He is a co-founder of GF Biochemicals, which produced levulinic acid in large quantities first in the world.

The U.S. Department of Energy identified this acid as “one of the 12 molecules that can help unlock a “greener” world.” It is made from waste wood and can replace oil in a variety of products.

Hats off to you, Mathieu, because GF Biochemicals has already improved the world and has an estimated value of about $25 billion.

Moreover, it is claimed that soccer players are not intelligent.

1. Faiq Bolkiah: $20 Billion

Even if you are a soccer fan, the name Faiq Bolkiah might not come to mind.

The Sultan of Brunei is a well-known billionaire, and this man just so happens to be his nephew. The prince of Brunei’s son, Faiq Bolkiah, has a $20 billion estimated net worth.

Faiq currently competes for Chonburi in Thai League 1 and was formerly a youth player for Southampton, Chelsea, and Leicester City. Additionally, he is a full-fledged Bruneian international and has made six appearances for his nation, scoring once.

He probably doesn’t give his salary as much thought as some of the other players on this list, but we can’t imagine it’s as high.

If you liked this, be sure to look at the list of the ten richest female athletes as well!

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