$285 million salary: Forbes names world's highest-paid soccer player

Al-Nasr Arabian striker Cristiano Ronaldo became the highest paid footballer in the world in the 2024/25 season according to Forbes. The 39-year-old captain of the Portuguese national team topped the ranking with a total income of $285 million for the season.

Among all the athletes tracked by Forbes since 1990, only boxer Floyd Mayweather has ever surpassed this amount of annual income while remaining an athlete.

The ranking takes into account earnings from clubs (including salaries, bonuses and, in some cases, income from image rights), as well as income from non-football activities (including advertising contracts and business income).

The second place was taken by the Portuguese's eternal rival, Lionel Messi. The Argentine forward earned $135 million over the year.

Top 10 highest-paid soccer players in the world in the 2014/25 season:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nasr) - $285 million ($220 million in club income, $65 million in non-football income);

2. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) - $135 million (60+75 million). Revenues are shown for the calendar year 2024, not per season);

3. Neymar (Al-Hilal) - 110 million (80 + 30 million);

4. Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad) - 104 million (100 + 4 million);

5. Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) - 90 million (70+20 million);

6. Erling Haaland (Manchester City) - 60 million (46 + 14 million);

7. Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) - 55 million (40+15 million);

8. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 53 million (35+18 million);

9. Sadio Mane (Al-Nasr) - 52 million (48 + 4 million);

10. Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City) - 39 million (35+4 million).

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