Who Are the Highest-Paid Soccer Players?

The highest-paid soccer players in the world accumulate generational wealth every single season! The biggest soccer contracts have reached new heights in 2025 and are bound to continue growing, especially since the Saudi Professional League decided to ramp it up.

The updated numbers as of the 2025 summer reveal jaw-dropping figures for the best-paid soccer players. Despite reaching the twilight of their playing careers, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi continue to command unprecedented money. Who else is making the big bucks?

Highest-Paid Soccer Players in the World (Snapshot)

1. Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr $275 Million

Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid soccer player in the world, thanks to his staggering $225 million annual salary with Al-Nassr and $50 million in endorsements. Ronaldo’s income has continued to rise over the last two years as well.

In 2023, Ronaldo earned a total salary of $136 million, which is more than double in only two years! “CR7” returned to Manchester United in 2021, but ultimately signed with Al-Nassr in 2023.

The former Real Madrid superstar recently re-signed at Al-Nassr for another two years until June 2027. Ronaldo was also reportedly a target for Saudi rival Al Hilal, and a lucrative contract was on the table from a Brazilian club.

Ronaldo has routinely had one of the largest soccer contracts in the world for nearly two decades. In 2020, he became the first soccer player to become a billionaire, and his worth has continued to grow since then.

Additionally, in May, Ronaldo finished atop the highest-paid athletes list for the third consecutive year. He might be 40 years old now, but Ronaldo looks like a player who could continue for another five years in Saudi Arabia, so his maximum earning potential is far from exhausted.

With a new contract in hand from Al-Nassr, the Portuguese phenom will further cement himself as the richest soccer player in the world over the next two years.

2. Lionel Messi, Inter Miami $135,000,000

Ronaldo’s longstanding rival and most people’s GOAT, Lionel Messi, checks in with the second-biggest soccer contract in the world. Messi is earning $135 million in total annually with Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami. Where the 38-year-old Argentinian really outshines the competition is with his endorsements.

Messi leads all soccer players, including Ronaldo, in endorsement money with $75 million in annual earnings. He is backed by massive companies, including Adidas, Anheuser-Busch, Pepsi, Apple, Beats by Dre, and many more.

Although Messi could earn more on the field elsewhere, he is cashing in on endorsement cash in the United States, including a unique profit-sharing structure with Apple and Adidas.

In 2017, when Messi signed with Barcelona, it was leaked that the talented forward raked in €555,237,619 ($674 million) in earnings at roughly €138 million per year. Messi had a falling out and bitter divorce with Barça, before a short stint with PSG was followed by a move to Inter Miami in 2023.

Messi continues to be the face of the league and the hottest ticket in town when Inter Miami travels to visiting cities. After signing his $150 million, 2.5-year contract, he instantly became the biggest signing the league had made since David Beckham in 2007.

3. Karim Benzema, Al-Ittihad $104 Million

Karim Benzema is the second of three players in the Saudi Professional League with the highest soccer contract in the world. The former Real Madrid standout moved to Saudi Arabia in 2023 on a free transfer worth $100 million annually.

He was awarded the club’s captaincy ahead of the 2023-24 season and helped lead Al-Ittihad to the league title for the 2024-25 campaign in May. Benzema scored 21 goals in 28 matches this past season.

While Benzema isn’t as marketable as Ronaldo or Messi, he is making a fortune for his skills as one of the best forwards. $100 million of Benzema’s $104 million earnings comes from his playing contract with Al-Ittihad.

His earnings have exploded over the last two years. In 2023, Benzema wasn’t even in the top 10 of the highest-paid soccer players. The contract from Al-Ittihad catapulted the Frenchman to near the top of the board to put him ahead of Mbappé and Neymar.

4. Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid $90 Million

The first player on the list from an elite European club, French All-Star Kylian Mbappé, ranks as having one of the largest soccer contracts. Mbappé is one of the most prized possessions in all of soccer, and he was rewarded for it with a five-year deal at Real Madrid last summer.

The former PSG forward is coming off a strong season with 31 goals in 34 matches in his first year in Spain, despite some early struggles and overall disappointment in terms of team achievements. He also scored seven goals in 14 UEFA Champions League games.

Five years under Real Madrid’s control, they are getting what you could consider a fantastic bargain compared to the three players with bigger contracts than Mbappé. The move from PSG to Madrid was a pay cut for him, with Mbappé earning approximately $100 million and a total of $120 million in 2023.

Nevertheless, Mbappé is only 26 years old and has more than a decade of earning potential ahead of him. While Mbappé may not be the highest-paid soccer player now, he is likely to ink a monster deal in the future in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere.

After rejecting a reported $1 billion offer from Al Hilal, it’s clear that winning at the highest level takes precedence for Mbappe at the moment. He and Real Madrid came up short in La Liga and the Champions League this past year, but they will remain threats with Mbappe as the centerpiece.

5. Neymar, Santos FC $76 Million

Neymar might be one of the most talented players around, but he does not have the largest soccer contract in the world.

Earlier this year, Barça’s former star decided to mutually rescind his contract with Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal after injuries had been a problem for more than a year. Neymar arrived in Al Hilal on a transfer from PSG worth $97.6 million.

Instead of looking elsewhere, Neymar opted to go back home to Brazil to where it all began. The 33-year-old started his soccer career on Santos’ youth team in 2003. As part of Santos’ academy, Neymar made a name for himself, and now he is back home after becoming a star at Barcelona and PSG.

While injuries have wreaked havoc on Neymar’s career over the last two years, he remains one of the most marketable soccer stars. With $30 million in endorsement earnings, he’s an attractive name to major companies. Additionally, despite not contributing as much as he could, Neymar still made $46 million from his one-year contract.

6. Erling Haaland, Manchester City $62 Million

At 25 years old, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is only worried about one thing: building a legacy. That was the message Haaland sent when he signed an astounding 9.5-year contract. In January, Haaland put pen to paper and inked a nearly decade-long contract worth $237 million.

Having already amassed countless awards, including the UEFA Best Player in Europe and the Golden Boot, Manchester City wanted to lock up Haaland for as long as they could. In 2024-25, the dynamic Norwegian playmaker netted 22 goals and three assists in Premier League matches. He followed up with eight goals in nine Champions League contests!

Additionally, in the 2025-26 World Cup qualifiers, Haaland has four goals in four appearances for Norway! He’s one of the most prolific players in the world, but like Mbappé, he is more concerned with collecting trophies and stamping his name in the history books before making obscene wealth in Saudi Arabia.

Even then, Haaland is making an impressive $48 million in annual earnings on the pitch, while picking up $14 million in endorsements for the sixth-highest soccer contract in the world. He is also one of the most wagered on players to score every time he steps on the pitch at the best soccer betting sites!