Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Saudi club Al-Nassr, topped the list of the highest-paid football players in 2025, significantly ahead of his traditional rival, Argentine Lionel Messi, captain of American club Inter Miami. Ronaldo achieves this feat in his third year with Al-Nassr, having joined the club at the beginning of 2023 from Manchester United.
Le classement des 10 footballeurs les mieux payés au monde en 2024 ! 🤑
🥇 Cristiano Ronaldo – 263 M€
🥈 Lionel Messi – 124 M€
🥉 Neymar – 101 M€
4⃣ Karim Benzema – 96 M€
5⃣ Kylian Mbappé – 83 M€
6⃣ Erling Haaland – 55 M€
7⃣ Vinicius Jr – 51 M€
8⃣ Mohamed Salah – 49 M€… pic.twitter.com/L1DVEdJUsh— Foot Mercato (@footmercato) January 9, 2025
Decline of European League Stars:
According to a report by French website “Foot Mercato“, Ronaldo earned €263 million in 2024, while Messi earned €124 million in the same year. Brazilian Neymar da Silva, striker for Saudi club Al-Hilal, came in third with €101 million, while Frenchman Karim Benzema, striker for Saudi club Al-Ittihad, ranked fourth with €96 million.
Top 10 Highest-Paid Players in 2025:
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr) ـ €263 million
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) ـ €124 million
- Neymar (Al-Hilal) ـ €101 million
- Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad) ـ €96 million
- Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) ـ €83 million
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City) ـ €55 million
- Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) ـ €51 million
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) ـ €49 million
- Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr) ـ €48 million
- Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) ـ €36 million
Notes on the List:
- Kylian Mbappé is the first player from European leagues to appear on the list, ranking fifth with €83 million.
- The dominance of Saudi League players in the top spots reflects the significant development of the league, attracting global stars with record-breaking salaries.