The Portuguese footballer, who continues his football career at Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr, ranked first in the list of the world's highest paid players
Saudi Arabia, which paved the way to the Middle East for the football world, has seen the annual earnings of players increase dramatically in recent years. According to Forbes' list, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr, topped the list of the highest earning soccer players of 2024 with an income of 285 million dollars. Four players from Saudi Arabia were among the top 10 highest paid footballers of 2024. Three players from England, two from Spain and one from the USA were included in the list.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)
Ronaldo earned more than twice as much as his closest rival, Argentina's Lionel Messi, in 2024. The 39-year-old soccer player, who broke his own record of $260 million in annual earnings last year, increased his income to $285 million this year. Ronaldo increased his online presence by launching a YouTube channel in August, reaching nearly 1 billion followers across all social media platforms. Ronaldo, whose off-field income increased to 65 million dollars a year with his brand partnerships, especially Nike, as well as his ventures in hotels and clothing, earned 220 million dollars from Al Nassr for a year.
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
Argentine star Lionel Messi ranked second on the list with an income of 135 million dollars in 2024. Messi, who earns $75 million thanks to partnerships with brands such as Adidas, Apple TV and Konami, is the leader in off-field income. The 37-year-old Messi, who has more than 500 million followers on Instagram and his own production company, received an annual salary of 60 million dollars from Inter Miami, the US team he plays for.
Neymar (Al Hilal)
Brazilian star Neymar became the third highest-paid soccer player of the year with the income he earned on and off the pitch, even though his career in Saudi Arabia did not go as expected. The 32-year-old, who was sidelined with a knee injury last year, continued to collaborate with brands such as Puma and earned significant income through social media. Neymar, who received 80 million dollars from Al Hilal, reached 110 million dollars in 2024 with an income of 30 million dollars off the field.
Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad)
Frenchman Karim Benzema ranked 4th in the list of the highest paid footballers of 2024.
Benzema became one of the stars who decided to continue his career in Saudi Arabia in 2023 for an astronomical amount. The 36-year-old Benzema, who earns a salary of 100 million dollars from Al Ittihad, increased his earnings to 104 million dollars with his off-field income.
Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
French star Kylian Mbappe realized his “childhood dream” by transferring to Real Madrid this year. The earnings of the 25-year-old footballer, who received 20 million dollars thanks to partnerships including Nike and Dior, increased to 90 million dollars with the addition of 70 million from football. The departure of Mbappe, who ranks 5th in the list of the highest earners, also shook the French league. Due to the departure of star players, the annual broadcasting revenue of the French league dropped from 1.1 billion to 700 million dollars.
