Top 9 highest-paid footballers in the world revealed as Ronaldo blows Messi away
Express Sport runs you through the nine highest-earning footballers on the planet with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi still making big money.
Cristiano Ronaldo will earn over twice as much as Lionel Messi across the 2025-26 season.
(Image: Getty Images)The top nine highest-paid footballers in the world for the 2025-26 season have been revealed - with some massive names making Forbes' latest list. Cristiano Ronaldo earns more than double his long-time rival Lionel Messi in a year despite the Portugal captain being 40 years old and almost at the end of his career. Express Sport looks at the list of top earners...
9th - Jude Bellingham (£32.7m)
He might have been absent from the latest England squad, largely due to an injury, but Jude Bellingham is still one of the richest players in the world. The Real Madrid midfielder earns over £20m a year thanks to a wage of over £300,000 weekly at the Bernabeu. At just 22, Bellingham's position on this list is likely only to rise in the coming years. He has a deal with Adidas and Lucozade, plus SKIMS and Louis Vuitton. He's also a cover star for EA FC 26.
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8th - Sadio Mane (£40.2m)
A team-mate of Cristiano Ronaldo's at Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, Mane still earns big three years after leaving Liverpool. The 33-year-old's deal expires at the end of the season and he will hope to be tied down before the 2026 World Cup with Senegal having just qualified for the USA. Mane has a long-running partnership with New Balance and is one of the brand's biggest names but like Benzema, the vast majority of his money comes from the pay he receives from his club.
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7th - Mohamed Salah (£40.9m)
Liverpool's Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah signed a lucrative new contract with the Reds back in April that pays him up to £400,000 a week. That means the two-time Premier League winner is the second-highest paid player in England's top flight. Salah's off-field income comes from a long-standing deal with boot suppliers Adidas plus Pepsi, Vodafone, DHL and Uber among others.
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6th - Vinicius Jr (£44.6m)
Another Real Madrid player, Vinicius Jr has become one of Los Blancos' top performers and is a major target for the Saudis who could end up paying a world-record fee if they're eventually successful in luring the 25-year-old to the Gulf state. But even in Spain he still earns a handsome wage of over £300,000 a week to contribute to his massive income. The Brazilian also has an array of sponsors including Nike, Pepsi, Hugo Boss and Gatorade that sees him earn £15m a year off the pitch.
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