The World's Top 10 Richest Footballers Right Now

Professional athletes around the world make up a good percentage of the richest people in the world. We dedicate this article to focusing on footballers and discovering who is currently the world's richest football player.

Professional athletes around the world make up a good percentage of the richest people in the world. We dedicate this article to focusing on footballers and discovering who is currently the world's richest football player. The "Beautiful Game" or Football, is the most popular sport in the world. And with that level of popularity, there's money to be made. As a result, footballers are some of the highest paid professionals in the world, constantly dominating the list of the richest athletes/players list. So, without further ado, let’s dive straight into this and find out the Top 10 Richest Footballers in the World.

10. Ronaldo Luis Nazario - $160 Million

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, also known as Ronaldo or Ronaldo Nazaro, is a former Brazilian striker. Beyond his football skills on the field and an impressive football career, he is also a successful businessman and owner of Spanish club, Real Valladolid. 

During his initial football career, Ronaldo shattered many records and became one of the most expensive players in football history. Ronaldo played for Brazil and scored 62 goals. At age 17, Ronaldo became the youngest member of the Brazilian squad that turned out to be the 1994 FIFA World Cup winner. He also became the youngest footballer to receive the Golden Football Award and was named the best footballer on the planet in 1997. Other than his football achievements, he has dedicated himself to humanitarian causes, serving as the goodwill ambassador for the UN Development Programme.

9. Kylian Mbappe – $150 to 180 Million

In this list of the richest footballers, Kylian Mbappé's name truly stands out. While most footballers in this list have already retired or are in the twilight years of their playing career, Mbappe is in the prime of his playing career -- still considered one of the best. It's this deadly combination of elite playing ability and insane marketability that has made Mbappe one of the richest athletes in the world and a poster boy of football. The 25-year-old Frenchman is the face of well-renowned brands like Dior, Nike, Oakley, Hublot and many more. On the pitch, Mbappe currently stars for Ligue 1 club, Paris Saint-Germain and also captains the French national team. He is well known for his mesmerizing dribbling and speed skills. At the young age of 18, Mbappé played for France, for the first time.

2018 was the year when he became the youngest French player to score a goal in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It wasn’t enough, he also became the second teenager to hit a goal in the finals. Mbappé assisted the French National Team to secure victory in the UEFA Nations League 2021. The footballer also received the top scorer award.

With his major contribution, France also made it into the FIFA World Cup 2022 finals and won the Golden Boot and silver ball awards.

8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – $190 million

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a former Swedish footballer who played as a striker and is well known for his technique and ball control. He is one of the most decorated footballers in the world and has secured more than 34 trophies in his career. Zlatan enjoyed his career playing for various teams like Maimo FF, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, and Manchester United.

With over 560 career goals in the entire career, Zlatan owns the record for Sweden’s all-time leading scorer. Nobody has been able to level with him. Additionally, Ibrahimovic stands as the seventh-richest footballer in the world.

During his career, he signed various brand endorsements from Adidas, Nike, Nivea, Volvo, and Microsoft XBOX, as well as other major investments that contributed significantly to his overall net worth.

7. Wayne Rooney – $207 Million 

Wayne Rooney, a retired legendary English football star known for his hard-hitting striking skills, is considered one of the best players in English football history. Rooney has had lucrative contracts with various clubs, like Manchester United, Everton, and DC, during his playing career. He has also been associated with various endorsement deals during his playing career, like Nike, Coca-Cola, and EA Sports. Known for his remarkable playing career, his ventures into coaching and management have significantly contributed to his overall wealth.

6. Dave Whelan – $220 million

Dave Whelan is a former footballer and an English businessman born in 1936. During his career, Dave played for both, Blackburn Rovers and Crewe Alexandra. Whelan is also the former owner and chairman of Wigan Athletic Football Club, based in Manchester, England.

Whelan played as a left-back, scoring multiple times for the Blackburn Rovers. Whelan’s net worth totals at an estimated $220 million.

5. Neymar Jr. – $250 million

After years of mesmerizing fans in Brazil and Europe, Neymar Jr. currently plays for for Al Hilal -- a Saudi football club based in Riyadh. Neymar is not only a key contributor to the Brazil national football team, but also Selecao's highest scoring player EVER.

His entire football career has been remarkable, wherein he won

3 Copa del Rey championships

2 La Liga crowns, and

2015 UEFA Champions League championship with Barcelona.

Furthermore, Neymar has scored more than 100 goals for three clubs, which makes him one of the few players to do so. Naturally, with all the success he has enjoyed with Santos, Barcelona and PSG, Neymar is one of the most popular players of his generation -- as a result, one of the most marketable players ever. The increase in his net worth is because of various off-field endorsements with popular brands like Puma and Red Bull and his recent move to Al Hilal Saudi Arabia Club.

4. David Beckham – $450 million

David Robert Joseph Beckham is one of the finest footballers the world has ever seen. Beckham started his professional career with Manchester United. Beckham won various titles while playing for Manchester United; he won the Premier League six times and the UEFA Champions League. Beckham also played for Real Madrid, helping them secure the La Liga championship. He has been a UNICEF ambassador since 2005 and was also introduced to the English Football Hall of Fame and the Premier League Hall of Fame. Currently, Beckham holds the position of the fourth-richest footballer globally.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo – $500M

Any list of the world's richest athletes isn't complete without Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro or CR7. Hailed as one of football's greatest-ever players, Ronaldo kicked off his illustrious career with Sporting CP. Ronaldo's meteoric rise saw him join Manchester United, where he won three Premier League titles, and one UEFA Champions League, among other honors. His sensational form led to a then-world-record transfer to Real Madrid, with whom he secured two La Liga crowns and four Champions League triumphs. Currently playing for Al-Nassr, Ronaldo is a five-time Ballon d'Or winner and holds the record for most international goals and UEFA club competition goals. His marketability and endorsements have propelled him to become the third-wealthiest footballer globally. The list of companies that call Ronaldo their brand ambassador are Armani, Nike, Louis Vuitton, TAG Heuer, Binance, WHoop and many more. The Portuguese has also invested in brands like Whoop, UFL, Medialivre, Vista Alegre Atlantis, Bioniq, Novus, Chrono24.

2. Lionel Messi - $600M

Lionel Messi, widely considered one of the GOATs, has been mesmerizing fans since making his Barcelona debut as a teenager. A one-club man until 2021, Messi guided Barcelona to 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League triumphs, becoming their all-time top scorer in the process. The diminutive Argentine has won a record seven Ballon d'Ors and is the only player to win six European Golden Shoes. Currently starring for Paris Saint-Germain, Messi's brilliant skills, facilitated by his appealing endorsement portfolio, have established his status as the second-wealthiest footballer worldwide.

1. Faiq Bolkiah - $20 billion

Faiq Jefri Bolkiah, despite being relatively unknown in the football world, is the wealthiest player on the planet. The Bruneian owns this staggering fortune courtesy of being the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the richest monarchs globally. Faiq played as a striker for Brunei's national under-21 team and a few minor league clubs. However, his whopping net worth, which dwarfs even the combined riches of Ronaldo and Messi, comes from being part of the insanely wealthy Brunei royal family that has made billions from oil reserves. Flaunting a lifestyle fit for kings, the publicity-shy Faiq tops the list of richest footballers by an astronomical margin.