Highest-paid footballers.
Forbes have compiled their list of the 10 highest-paid footballers for 2022, with Kylian Mbappe of France and Paris Saint-Germain coming out on top.
This is the first time that a player other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo has topped the list since David Beckham did so in 2013, the same year that the former England captain retired from the game.
Kylian Mbappe tops list.
The findings reveal that Mbappe will $110 million in on-pitch earnings in 2022 but that figure rises to $128 million when his off-pitch earnings are taken into account.
The Frenchman’s rise to the top of the list comes after he signed a contract extension at PSG this summer, with his monthly wage reported to be around £4 million.
Mbappe’s clubmate Messi is next on the list, earning a total of $110 million, while Ronaldo is in third place with a figure of $100 million in a year.
Ronaldo earns more in off-pitch endorsements ($60 million) than he does on the pitch for Manchester United and Portugal ($40 million), a fact which will provide little comfort as he continues to sit out big games under Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag.
Top 10.
Neymar, another PSG star, is fourth on the list with a total of $87 million, while Liverpool’s Mo Salah completes the top five with $53 million.
After his sensational start to the season with Manchester City, Erling Haaland makes his debut in the top 10 at number 6 with a total of $39 million.
The rest of the top 10 is completed by Robert Lewandowski ($35 million), Eden Hazard ($31 million), Andres Iniesta ($30 million) and Kevin De Bruyne ($29 million).
Forbes list of highest-paid footballers.
“There’s always another sports star around the corner, and when some heroes fade, new heroes arise,” Kenneth Cortsen, a sports economist at University College of Northern Denmark, told Forbes.
“There’s no doubt that the names Mbappé, especially now with Haaland, will be on the minds of sports fans and consumers.”
The full list of the highest-earning football players for 2022 can be found here.
Read More About: Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi
