10 richest football stars of 2022 – net worths, ranked: among Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Paris Saint-Germain’s Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, who rakes in the most millions?
- With the Fifa World Cup 2022 coming up in November and December in Qatar, we find out which highest-earning player makes the most from club salaries, off-court brand endorsements and businesses
- Neymar made history with his US$263 million transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, Messi has lucrative deals with Adidas and Pepsi, and Ronaldo has a garage full of Ferraris
This winter is heating up thanks to what may be the most exciting World Cup in history. The Fifa World Cup 2022 will take place from November 20 to December 18 in the Middle Eastern state Qatar this year, bringing forward the best national teams and players for the world to watch.
From legends such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to younger stars like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, not only are they impressive on the field, but at the bank too. These are the highest-paid football players for the 2022-23 season, thanks to their high-paying salaries, sweet deals with giant brands like Nike and Adidas, and fruitful businesses, Forbes revealed. But who has the deepest pockets?
10. Kevin De Bruyne, 31 – US$29 million
De Bruyne has been the superstar of Manchester City in recent years. The Belgian footballer is the second top-earning player in the Premier League this year with a US$450,000 weekly salary, second only after Cristiano Ronaldo, as reported by Sportrac. Besides a series of bonuses on top, he also has numerous endorsements with the likes of Nike, EA Sports and Orange, per Sportingfree.
9. Andrés Iniesta, 38 – US$30 million
The Barcelona legend played for FC Barcelona for 22 years before joining Japanese club Vissel Kobe in 2018. At around the same time, Iniesta signed his first-ever deal with a brand other than Nike – Japanese sportswear brand Asics – after 19 years of endorsing the Swoosh, per Forbes. He also had lucrative deals with brands like Nissan and UFX.com, according to Sportskeeda, making millions away from the pitch.
Fun fact – Iniesta owns a winery, Bodega Iniesta, producing around 1.2 million bottles per year, according to The Drinks Business. In September this year, per Japan TV, he launched his own sportswear brand Capitten in Japan, further expanding his business empire.
8. Eden Hazard, 31 – US$31 million
