This winter is getting hotter because of what could be the most exciting World Cup ever. This year, the Fifa World Cup 2022 will take place in the Middle Eastern state of Qatar from November 20 to December 18, bringing the best national teams and players to the world to watch.
Legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, as well as younger stars like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, are impressive not only on the field but also in the bank. According to Forbes, these football players will be paid the most for the 2022–23 season because of their lucrative businesses, lucrative contracts with major brands like Nike and Adidas, and high salaries. But who has the largest sums of money?
Here is the list of the top 10 FIFA richest football player in the world 2022:
10. Kevin De Bruyne, 32 – US$29 million
According to Sportrac, the Belgian footballer is the second highest-paid player in the Premier League this year with a weekly salary of $450,000, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo. According to Sportingfree, in addition to a number of bonuses, he has numerous endorsements with Orange, Nike, and EA Sports.
9. Andrés Iniesta, 39 – US$30 million
According to Forbes, Iniesta signed his first contract with a brand other than Nike around the same time. It was with the Japanese sportswear company Asics, and it came after 19 years of endorsing the Swoosh. Sportskeeda says that he also had lucrative deals with Nissan and UFX.com, making millions off the pitch.
8. Eden Hazard, 32 – US$31 million
According to AS, he is one of the top five highest-paid La Liga players, earning more than US$600,000 per week. Goal reports that Hazard was also the face of Nike, Topps, Lotus Bakeries, and China’s Sina Sports, among other brands.
According to British media, he is able to ride in a number of opulent automobiles, including the Mercedes-Benz AMG GTR, Audi R8 V10, BMW X6, Audi RS4 Avant, Aston Martin Vanquish, and Mercedes C Class, as well as live in a mansion worth US$11.2 million.
7. Robert Lewandowski, 35 – US$35 million
According to Football Espana, Robert Lewandowski, a Polish icon and one of the best strikers in the world, signed a deal worth nearly US$50 million this year to join Barcelona from Bayern Munich. According to British media, he also has signed deals with Nike, Huawei, Head & Shoulders, and the vitamin water brand Oshee
6. Erling Haaland, 23 – US$39 million
According to British media, he earns approximately US$1 million per week even though his base salary is US$419,000 per week after joining Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund this summer. Forbes predicted that his endorsement income would soon quadruple, putting it at about US$4 million per year from major brands like Nike, Hyperice, Samsung, and Viaplay.
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5. Mohamed Salah, 31 – US$53 million
According to CBS Sports, Mohamed Salah, Liverpool’s darling, just signed a new three-year contract worth US$60 million, up from his previous five-year deal worth US$44.5 million, which he had with the club since 2017. Salah is the club’s highest-paid player, according to Egypt Today.
From 2020 on, he earned US$2.5 million annually from his 10-year contract with Adidas. In addition, through Total Sportal, he is bringing in millions of dollars for other companies like Pepsi, Vodafone, Uber, and Oppo. According to Egypt Independent, he also tried his hand at real estate last year by starting two businesses in the UK.
4. Neymar, 31 – US$87 million
According to Football Transfers, he earns approximately US$36 million annually under the terms of his new contract, which runs until 2025. The goal, to name just a few, reports that he earns up to US$40 million annually from Nike, Puma, Gillette, and Red Bull off the field.
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3. Cristiano Ronaldo, 38 – US$100 million
According to Sportrac, Cristiano Ronaldo, who is 37 years old and earns US$100 million, has held the Premier League’s No. 1 position for a base salary of approximately US$575,000 per week since returning to Manchester United in 2021.
According to Insider, the hero of Portugal makes even more money off the field than he does on it, earning about US$60 million this year thanks to his US$1 billion lifetime contract with Nike and endorsements with Herbalife, Tag Heuer, and Clear.
2. Lionel Messi, 36 – US$120 million
According to Insider, Lionel Messi, who is 35 years old and currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain, earns US$120 million annually. Messi and Neymar, another member of the club, also earn US$35 million annually. However, off-pitch revenue accounts for nearly half of the Argentine icon’s income.
According to Insider, his other big bucks come from endorsements with Pepsi and Budweiser. His biggest lifetime deal is with Adidas, where he earns $25 million per year. In addition, he reportedly became the owner of the Mim hotel chain in 2017 and the fashion boss of the Messi Store.
1. Kylian Mbappe, 24 – US$128 million
Not only does he surpass Messi and Ronaldo, but the Paris Saint-Germain star from France also became the youngest player to earn more than US$100 million in a single season. According to Capology, Mbappe earns nearly US$1.7 million per week in gross income, and he also earns US$1 million per year as an ambassador for luxury watchmaker Hublot and Nike.
Through The Hollywood Reporter, he launched a production company called Zebra Valley this summer that focuses on sports, music, art, technology, gaming, consumer goods, and youth culture.
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