Top 5 Footballers In The Forbes World’s Highest-Paid Athletes
May 30, 2020 at 8:41 PM
One of the most famous magazines of the world, Forbes, released data of the highest-paid athletes in world on Friday. Footballers including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar, all feature in the elite list of footballers who earn a lot of money through the sport they play and other associations and sponsorships.
Paydays for the world’s top-earning athletes dropped for the first time in four years, according to the 2020 Forbes ranking as the coronavirus wreaked havoc on sports and cancelled or postponed many marquee events for the first time since World War II.
The 100 highest-paid athletes earned a combined $3.6 billion this year, which is 9% below 2019 and the first decline since 2016, when boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao skewed the results with a $400 million payout from their May 2015 “Fight of the Century” pay-per-view bout.
Today, we’ll take a look at the top-paid footballers in the industry and do they really justify the amount being spent on them.
Top 5 Footballers In The Forbes World’s Highest-Paid Athletes
5. Kylian Mbappe ($33.8 Million)
France and Paris Saint Germain’s star striker, Kylian Mbappe features on the fifth spot among the highest-paid footballers in the world. Kylian Mbape has earned a total of $33.8 Million, out of which $13 Million have been earned by endorsements and $20.8 Million have been earned by his salary and winnings. Mbappe, however, features on the 36th spot among the highest-paid athletes.
4. Mohamed Salah ($35.1 Million)
Egypt and Liverpool’s marquee man, Mohamed Salah is fourth in the list of world’s highest-paid footballers. He has a total earning of $35.1 Million, $12 Million of which have come through endorsements and $23.1 Million through salary and other earnings. Mohamed Salah is on the 34th spot in the world’s highest-paid athletes.
3. Neymar Jr. ($95.5 Million)
Neymar Jr. broke the banks in the summer of 2017 when he made the most expensive transfer for a footballer from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record fee of $222 Million. He is currently on the third spot in the world’s highest-paid footballers with an earning of $95.5 Million. He has earned $70.5 Million through salary and $25 Million through endorsements.
2. Lionel Messi ($104 Million)
FC Barcelona’s talisman over the last 15 years, Lionel Messi is second on the list in the highest-paid footballers in the world. Lionel Messi has been delivering the goods for FC Barcelona for over a decade now and is among one of the greatest footballers of all-time. He has earned a total of $104 Million, $72 Million of which have come through salary and $32 Million have come through endorsements.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo ($105 Million)
One of the greatest footballers of all-time, Cristiano Ronaldo, leads the race of the world’s highest-paid footballers. Cristiano Ronaldo was once the most expensive transfer in world football history when he moved to Real Madrid from Manchester United back in 2009. Cristiano Ronaldo has earned a total of $60 Million through salary and $45 Million through endorsements.