Cristiano Ronaldo eclipses Lionel Messi in the highest-earning footballer rankings—and by quite some margin.
The superstar is one of the biggest names in the game, and he has the bank balance to match, thanks to his move to Saudi Arabia.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid player in the world. Credit: Reuters
12Harry Kane is the only Englishman in the top ten. Credit: Getty
Saudi clubs have splashed the cash in recent months and enticed some big names to the Gulf.
In fact, four of the top ten highest-paid football stars now play in Saudi Arabia, with two in the top three.
And despite the riches of the Premier League, only three current Prem stars make the top ten list, with none in the top five.
SunSport takes a look at the highest-earners in football, which includes the England captain and two World Cup winners.
10. Harry Kane: £28.3m
Kane, 30, earned a bumper pay raise following his summer move to Bayern Munich.
The England skipper picks up around £415,000 a week, which allowed him to move into a £30 million mansion in the suburbs of Munich.
12Harry Kane earned a bumper pay raise when he joined Bayern MunichCredit: Getty
9. Kevin De Bruyne: £30.7m
The Manchester City talisman negotiated his own contract before penning a four-year deal worth £450,000 a week in 2021.
The 32-year-old has won it all with City and will spend ten years at the club if he sees out the remainder of his contract.
Kevin De Bruyne negotiated his own salary with Manchester CityCredit: Getty
8. Sadio Mane: £40.9m
The former Liverpool star is one of several European-based players who made the cash-grab switch to Saudi Arabia last summer.
Mane, 31, left Bayern Munich after just a year in Germany, joining Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in a deal worth £650,000-a-week.
12Sadio Mane is one of several superstars who moved to Saudi Arabia for big moneyCredit: Getty
7. Mo Salah: £41.7m
Like his former teammate, Reds icon Salah also rakes in the cash, thanks in part to his £350,000-a-week Anfield contract.
The 31-year-old also has a bumper endorsement deal with Adidas to bolster his bank balance.
12Mo Salah boasts a lucrative deal with Adidas and LiverpoolCredit: Alamy
6. Erling Haaland: £45.7m
Haaland, 23, also has a lucrative sponsorship deal with Nike, and he also appeared on the front cover of the EA Sports FC 2024 video game this year.
He is one of the best players in the world, and his City contract reflects his worth, with the Norwegian earning £400,000 a week, a figure likely to rise amid talk of a new deal.
12Erling Haaland is the highest-paid player in the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
5. Karim Benzema, 83.5m
Al-Ittihad managed to lure Benzema from Real Madrid thanks to a salary of £83.5 million a year.
The striker, 36, had been linked with a loan move to Manchester United this month, but the deal was not feasible due to his wages.
12Karim Benzema was linked with a loan move to Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
4. Kylian Mbappe: £86.7m
The France superstar, 25, penned a mammoth contract when he stunned the football world and extended his Paris Saint-Germain stay to 2022.
Much has been made of his future in recent weeks, and Real Madrid would likely be willing to offer him an even bigger salary to lure him to the Bernabeu this summer.
12Kylian Mbappe could earn even more money if he joins Real MadridCredit: AFP
3. Neymar: £88.2m
Neymar did leave PSG, but in search of big bucks rather than silverware.
The 31-year-old is paid an astonishing £1.7 million a week by Al-Hilal, with the Brazilian also requesting that he be gifted eight cars by the owners, and he asked for all the costs of his stays at hotels, restaurants, and cities that he may visit on days off to be covered by the club.
12Neymar made several expensive requests when he signed for Al-HilalCredit: AFP
2. Lionel Messi: £106.4m
Messi, 36, also signed an interesting deal when he joined Inter Miami last year, with the superstar given shares in the club.
He will also earn around £35–£47 million in basic salary, putting his earnings above the £100 million mark.
12Lionel Messi is the highest-paid MLS star of all timeCredit: EPA
1. Cristiano Ronaldo: £204.9m
Ronaldo, 38, takes top spot thanks to Al-Nassr paying him around £164 million a year.
The former Real Madrid star also earns an additional £49 million for his off-field ventures.
12Three Premier League players are in the top ten