Football is the most popular sport on the planet. It has made so many stars millionaires throughout history. The salaries keep growing each year as more money is constantly being pumped into the sport in one way or another.
Nowadays, we can witness bountiful shocking transfers to Saudi Arabia as some of the biggest stars of the game like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Karim Benzema have all left top European clubs to join the Saudi Arabia Pro League where they are going to make even more money.
We are going to share the list of the 20 richest footballers on the planet. You probably already have some names popping up in your head but we guarantee you will be surprised to see some players in the following list.
15 – Sergio Ramos – $120 million
Sergio Ramos’ net worth is estimated at $120 million. The 36-year-old defender has had an amazing career with Real Madrid and the Spanish national team. His latest club was PSG. He owns numerous expensive cars such as Audi RS6 Quattro or Porsche 911 Turbo S as well as a huge mansion in La Moreleja.
14 – Andres Iniesta – $120 million
Andres Iniesta is another member of the Spanish golden generation that has won back-to-back major trophies (World Cup and EURO). Unlike Ramos, he spent most of his career at Real Madrid’s bitter rivals Barcelona where he secured the status of an icon alongside Xavi and Lionel Messi. Iniesta finished his career at Vissel Kobe.
13 – Mesut Ozil – $125 million
Mesut Ozil is known as one of the most intelligent midfielders in football. He has enjoyed an amazing career at Real Madrid and Arsenal and he has built a genuine fortune on the back of such a phenomenal talent. Ozil owns a Porsche Panamera Turbo and Ferrari 458 alongside his other expensive cars and he has also bought a massive mansion with six bedrooms in North London (Arsenal’s home) for $15 million.
12 – Gareth Bale – $150 million
Gareth Bale has said his farewell to professional football after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. We all know him for his amazing runs and goals in Tottenham and Real Madrid shirts as well as his scintillating achievements with the Welsh national team over the years.
11 – Ronaldo – $160 million
Many refer to him as the “true Ronaldo”. Luis Nazario de Lima completely marked his era by conquering everything there was to conquer with Brazil’s national team. He has established himself as one of the best strikers in the history of the game. He is the proud owner of numerous houses in North America and Brazil, including an attractive penthouse in Sao Paulo and a wealthy mansion in Rio de Janeiro.
10 – Wayne Rooney – $170 million
Wayne Rooney has continued his football adventures in the role of coach right upon finishing his playing career. We all know him for extraordinary achievements with Manchester United where he became a club legend by scoring numerous important goals at Old Trafford. Rooney has a huge mansion in Cheshire while Lamborghini is his favorite car brand.
9 – Kylian Mbappe – $180 million
Kylian Mbappe is in the top 10 of this list despite being by far the youngest of all players here. The 24-year-old French superstar has recently refused a record-breaking $776 million salary for one year at Al-Hilal. This best shows that money is not an issue for the Parisian who is still eyeing up a move to Real Madrid after also declining to sign a new PSG deal. Kylian will undoubtedly climb up this list sooner rather than later.
8 – Zlatan Ibrahimovic – $190 million
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has established himself as one of the most iconic footballers on the planet during his rich playing career. He has played for numerous European heavyweights such as Ajax, Inter, Milan, Juventus, and Barcelona before finishing his career at AC Milan. His current net worth is $190 million.
7 – Dave Whelan – $210 million
Dave Whelan is the first intruder on this list because his playing career can by no means be compared to the aforementioned superstars. Avid football fans remember him from his days at Crewe Alexandra as he “earned bread” in the lower divisions of English football. Nevertheless, his wealth comes from JJB Sports Company as Dave is currently estimated at $210 million.
6 – Neymar Jr – $250 million
Neymar Jr.’s true net worth is probably much greater than $250 million as people speculate of him being a billionaire due to numerous sponsorship partnerships throughout his career. Neymar has recently made a move to Saudi Arabia where he will play for Al Hilal.
5 – David Beckham – $450 million
On top of an extraordinary playing career at Manchester United, David Beckham has built a true empire on the back of his iconic celebrity status. Becks has concluded a wide array of deals with the world’s most famous brands such as L’Oreal, Adidas, H&M, Tudor Watches, etc. He is currently an owner of Inter Miami, an MLS sensation that managed to sign Lionel Messi.
4 – Cristiano Ronaldo – $500 million
Cristiano Ronaldo is a player that marked his era. He is still an active footballer playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Arabian top flight at the age of 38. On top of his extraordinary talent and will to succeed, Ronaldo has also established himself as a true celebrity.
3 – Lionel Messi – $600 million
Lionel Messi has accomplished everything a footballer can accomplish in his career. He won all major competitions with Barcelona a long time ago and he has finally added the most precious of titles to his name in 2022, taking the Argentinean national team to their third World Cup title in Qatar.
2 – Mathieu Flamini – $14 billion
You must be caught by surprise on this one. Mathieu Flamini is one of just two billionaires on this list. He had a mediocre career playing for Marseille, Arsenal, and AC Milan before retiring and focusing on business success. Mathieu co-founded a biochemical company GF Biochemicals in 2008 and it has brought him a whopping $14 billion net worth.
1– Faiq Bolkiah – $20 billion
The vast majority of football fans have probably not even heard of Faiq Bolkiah. It comes as no surprise because this player has not been anywhere near the top European clubs at any point in his career. Nevertheless, his relation to the Bruneian Sultan secured him the title of a Bruneian prince and an amazing net worth of $20 million.
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