Kylian Mbappe tops Forbes football rich list ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

My Football Facts ⇒ Articles

By Martin Graham | 8th Oct 2022

Kylian Mbappe is the new highest-earning footballer, according to Forbes. The Frenchman beats Messi and Ronaldo for the first time, with Erling Haaland also on the list.

Football is now all about the money. Bragging rights of who earns more radiates across the length and breadth of the game. Clubs and players have jostled for the bragging rights of who is the most financially viable. The current status seems to make performance on the pitch no longer the only criterion for ascertaining player value.

For many years, the title of the highest-earning player has been between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, while the clubs Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United have been at the forefront of the financial table, ahead of clubs like Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Juventus.

A few days after news of what Erling Haaland earns hit the stands, Forbes released its latest football-rich list. The list contains the usual suspects in Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd) and Lionel Messi (PSG).

There is, however, a new name at the top of the rich list. Kylian Mbappe has dusted Ronaldo and Messi as the highest earning footballer.

Kylian Mbappe tops Forbes rich list ahead of Messi and Ronaldo.

Many football fans thought Kylian Mbappe was bound for Real Madrid during the summer transfer window. The France international was a free agent and claimed he wanted to join Real Madrid. He looked destined for the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, but he used Los Blancos to secure a lucrative contract at the Parc des princes.

PSG offered Mbappe a deal that would make him the top earner at the club. According to Forbes, it makes him the highest-earning footballer in the world.

Forbes reports that Mbappe (23) would earn $128m (£115.2m) this season. The figure puts him ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Second on the list is Mbappe’s PSG team-mate Messi who should earn $120m (£108m), while Manchester United forward Ronaldo is third on $100m (£90m). Making up the top five is Neymar and Mohamed Salah. Neymar will earn an estimated $87m (£78.4m) in 2022-23, while Mo Salah $53m (£47.7m).

Other players on the top ten rich list

No player in Spanish La Liga makes it into the top five, while only one Spaniard is in the top ten. The Forbes rich list also has no Englishman in the top ten. The only representatives in La Liga in the top ten are Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) and Eden Hazard (Real Madrid).

Before the duopoly of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the last player to top the list was former England captain David Beckham in 2013. With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo close to retirement, this signals the turn of a new era.

Mbappe and Haaland are the only footballers under 30 to make the Forbes list. Haaland, who has scored 19 goals in 12 games for Manchester City since his summer move, is number six on the list. He ranks behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Mo Salah as representatives of the Premier League. The other Premier League star on the list is Kevin de Bruyne.

The breakdown is as follows – four players from the Premier League, three from the Ligue 1 (all players of PSG), while La Liga has just two. Andres Iniesta, playing for Vissel Kobe, is the only player from outside Europe on the list.

Forbes’ list of highest-paid footballers 2022

Kylian Mbappe PSG/France $128m (£115.2m)

Lionel Messi PSG/Argentina $120m (£108m)

Cristiano Ronaldo Man Utd/Portugal $100m (£90m)

Neymar PSG/Brazil $87m (£78.4m)

Mohamed Salah Liverpool/Egypt $53m (£47.7m)

Erling Haaland Man City/Norway $39m (£35.1m)

Robert Lewandowski Barcelona/Poland $35m (31.5m)

Eden Hazard Real Madrid/Belgium $31m (£27.9m)

Andres Iniesta Vissel Kobe/Spain $30m (£27m)

Kevin de Bruyne Man City/Belgium $29m (26.1m)