From David Beckham and Messi to Muller and Mbappé, here is a list of the greatest soccer players in the world, and the amount of dollars they bring with them. Sit back, this is going to be a good match.
Neymar
Net Worth: $200 Million
One of our Brazilian entries on the list, Neymar has a net worth of $200 million. In 2017, he was the highest-paid soccer player in the world, presumably the highest-paid athlete altogether. In 2020, he earned almost $100 Million, with $20 million being just from endorsements.
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior was born in Brazil to Neymar Santos Sr., a former soccer player. At the age of 14, he joined the Real Madrid youth team, and at the time great names such as Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, and others were already playing for Real Madrid CF.
Sergio Ramos
Net Worth: $80 Million
Sergio Ramos usually plays as right back and central defender. He is known for having a unique style of playing and is considered one of PSG's biggest stars. Being the defender, his goalscoring performances are outstanding and very uncommon.
In the 2010 World Cup, he started every single game and finished being ranked first on the Castrol Performance Index. He is considered one of the great names in soccer today.
Kylian Mbappé
Net Worth: $150 Million
Not even in his 30s, Mbappé is already one of the richest soccer players in the world. Not long after he turned 19, he earned a whopping $25 million, and from there, things only escalated.
He is known as the youngest soccer player to score a goal in a World Cup final, and he is also known as one of the most generous ones. He donated the entire World Cup bonus of $500,000 to a charity organization. He is for sure the richest of them all.
Rio Ferdinand
Net Worth: $75 Million
Rio Ferdinand was born into the British league and played in the British league until the very last days of his professional career. He made his loot playing for West Ham, Leeds and Manchester United, and Queens Park Rangers.
After his retirement from the soccer field in 2015, he joined the BBC Sports network where he is winning his bread and adding more dollars to his $75 million.
Luis Suárez
Net Worth: $70 Million
Although his net worth is not as grand as other names mentioned on this list, when it comes to making soccer, Suárez is one of the greatest players out there. His modest $70 million was earned by a lot of sweat and a lot of ball kicking.
With an impressive reputation playing for Ajax, Liverpool, and Barcelona, Suárez is considered one of the greatest strikers of his generation.
Michael Owen
Net Worth $70 Million
At the beginning of the millennium, the Liverpudlian Michael Owen showed us what soccer was all about. He played for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, and Manchester United and then retired, not before making his $70 million.
He is the son of Terry Owen, a professional soccer player too, which makes us understand where the talent, good looks, and money come from.
Mario Balotelli
Net Worth: $70 Million
Mario Balotelli is the walking (or kicking) proof that to succeed in the soccer world, one needs more than talent. He has made his dollars but he has also made his reputation which is not always on the good side.
He has had his days of fame with extraordinary abilities on the field, however, he has managed to form a questionable reputation for himself for having discipline issues and unacceptable behavior problems. This all got in the way of him escalating his soccer career, but not in the way of counting the dollars.
Mesut Özil
Net Worth: $120 Million
The words intelligent and creative have always been used when describing the German player Mesut Özil. He built himself an outstanding history with Real Madrid before he transferred to Arsenal.
Arsenal offered him a salary of $50 million, making him the most expensive German player Arsenal ever bought. Somewhere along the way, Mesut found himself spending more time on the bench than on the grass, making the fans wonder what had happened to him.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Net Worth: $190 Million
Swedish Zlatan Ibrahimovic started kicking the ball when he was just six years old. He has since accomplished a magnificent career with a net worth of $190 million. When he reached his 15th birthday he was ready to pack everything up and work at the Malmö docks in Sweden.
Thanks to his coach, he stayed and continued playing, becoming one of the best soccer players we know. When playing for PSG, he became the all-time goalscorer of the team, which led to him joining Manchester United, and then Milan FC.
Gerard Piqué
Net Worth: $80 Million
An incredible name and a phenomenal player. He has been adorning the soccer field in Barcelona FC uniform for over a decade and is known as one of the best defenders in the soccer world.
His relationship with Barcelona started many years ago when his grandfather kicked off his career as the director of the club. Guess the grass runs through his veins.
David Beckham
Net Worth: $450 Million
What is there to say about Beckham that hasn't been said before? He is one of the first soccer players that proved that you can also be incredibly good-looking in addition to having amazing moves on the field. Part of the $450 million is thanks to those good looks.
He paved his way to fame wearing the red uniform of Manchester United and has since played for Real Madrid and LA Galaxy. Although he has retired from soccer altogether, he is still considered one of the best (and richest) players in the world.
Lionel Messi
Net Worth: $600 Million
He hasn't even reached his 40s and he already has more money than any of us will ever have, put together. He is the greatest of the greatest. A true phenomenal on the field with a reputation and a career any soccer player can only dream of.
The Argentinian supernatural player climbed the ladder of success wearing the FCB uniform where he scored over 670 goals in just over 770 games. In 2021 he signed on with PSG and there too, he is doing wonders with the ball. He is presumably the greatest soccer player in the world.
Radamel Falcao
Net Worth: $70 Million
The Columbian soccer player had an annual salary of $23 million which doesn't include the extras he earns. Together they form a massive net worth of $70 million.
Falcao began his career relatively late and joined the Columbian second division at the age of 13. This paved his secured route in the soccer industry and he has starred wearing the Atletico Madrid, Monaco, and Galatasaray S.K. uniforms.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Net Worth: $500 Million
With a net worth of 0ver $500 million, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest soccer players alive. He is considered one of the highest-paid professional entertainers in the world. Not only does he get paid for running after a ball, but he is the presenter of many top-class brands.
He is often referred to as CR7 and is aligned with the greatest names such as Maradona, George Best, and others. Cristiano began rolling the big bucks wearing Real Madrid CF uniform and has since signed up with the red Manchester United.
Jose Mourinho
Net Worth: $120 Million
We know he is better known as a manager and not a player, but Jose Mourinho had his days of glory kicking the ball, earning him a respected $120 million. In 2015 he was titled Coach of the Century.
Mourinho has also made a fortune by not doing anything, as it is reported that he acquired into his pocket over $60 million just for NOT coaching a team. Go figure.
Sergio Aguero
Net Worth: $80 Million
Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo, the Argentinian legend began his soccer career in the early days of elementary school. He has since earned his fortune playing for Atletico Madrid. Manchester City and Barcelona.
Transferring to Manchester City from Atletico Madrid was controversial. He was paid $60 million for this move, which led to his fans telling him exactly what they thought during the last match he played for Madrid.
David de Gea
Net Worth: $75 Million
David de Gea kicked off his soccer career wearing the uniform of Atletico Madrid, both in youth and professional teams, not knowing the insane amounts of money he would end up making. In 2020, he was the highest-paid goalkeeper in the world wearing the colors of Manchester United.
His base annual salary of $24 million and his endorsements of around $5 million make this very young player a very rich one too.
Philipp Lahm
Net Worth: $100 Million
Bayern Munich's former defensive midfielder and full-back is one of the richest retired German soccer players. He is considered one of the greatest fullbacks of his time. He was one of the few players who could play both with his right and left foot.
He joined FC Bayern Munich Junior Team at the age of eleven. He was considered very talented even at a young age and remained with Munich until the end of his career.
Frank Lampard
Net Worth: $90 Million
Frank Lampard made most of his fortune when playing for Chelsea. He took his first footsteps in soccer playing for West Ham. Just one year later he brought the team to success, coming fifth in the Premier League.
He earned $11 million when he moved to the rival Chelsea where he was vice-captain and one of the best goalscorers to date. Lampard is also known as one of the most impressive penalty-takers, with nine goals to his name.
Erling Haaland
Net Worth: $40 Million
The Norwegian legend is worth more than $40 million. He has an impressive career behind him to justify it and in front of him to make some more. He paved his way to fortune playing for Bryne FK until he reached Manchester City.
Considered one of the promising soccer players of his generation, Haaland is known for being fast, tricky, and strong when it comes to handling the ball.
Antoine Griezmann
Net Worth" $90 Million Antoine Griezmann is one of Atletico Madrid's greatest names. He is also a key player for the French national team who consider him one of their biggest stars, if not THE greatest.
In 2014, he joined Atletico Madrid for an astonishing 30 million bucks, which was then a club record. In 2019, his name was on the headlines once again, when he moved to Barcelona for $120 million, something unheard of until then.
Yaya Toure
Net Worth: $70 Million
Exported into Europe from Ivory Coast, Yaya Toure has worked hard for his 70 million big ones. Although he doesn't play professionally anymore, he was recently appointed FC Akhmat Grozny's assistant manager.
He has a rich history with Monaco, Barcelona, Qingdao F.C., and Olympiacos F.C. where he was most noticed. He was always seen as an average soccer player, however, the amount of money in his bank account is anything but average.
Dani Alves
Net Worth: $60 Million
Dani Alves is seen as one of the full-back of his time. He plays for his Brazilian national team and earns dollars by kicking the ball for Club Universidad Nacional wearing #33 as the team's midfielder.
Before doing that, he proudly wore the Barcelona uniform, PSG, and Juventus F.C. His annual fee of almost $10 million, places him on our expensive list.
Thierry Henry
Net Worth: $130 Million
The retired French soccer player was considered (at his peak) one of the best strikers out there. Even today, some argue that Henry is probably the best soccer player the world has ever known.
He was known for his smooth moves on the field and the way he made everything look so easy. He rose to fame while playing for Arsenal, maintained his glory at Barcelona FC, and ended his magnificent career with the New York Red Bulls.
Zinedine Zidane
Net Worth: $120 Million
For those who followed soccer during the late 1990s, Zinedine Zidane is a name no one can forget. The retired French coach and player is worth over $120 million. He is with no doubt a legend in the world of soccer.
He earned his fortune playing for Bordeaux, Juventus, Real Madrid, and the French national team, bringing them to significant achievements and recognition.
Gareth Bale
Net Worth: $145 Million
The Welsh Gareth Bale is known for his speed on the field and astonishing technics. He has a net worth of $145 million, and there is more where that came from. He began his career as a defender but very quickly moved to the forefront of the attack.
He rose to fame wearing the uniform of Tottenham and later moved to Real Madrid CF, but it was only a matter of time before he returned to his former club, Tottenham. Eventually, he signed up with Los Angeles FC.
Wayne Rooney
Net Worth: $170 Million
Up until 2021, he was still running the field with an impressive career behind him and a small fortune of $170 million. These days he is a soccer coach for the American D.C. United team. At his peak, Rooney was earning over $26 million a year.
His face has been all over big brands such as Nike, Coca-Cola, and Nokia who have generously contributed to his wealth with endorsements.
Raúl González Blanco
Net Worth: $100 Million
With a remarkable net worth of $100 Million, former soccer player Raúl was at his peak in 1994, while playing for Real Madrid FC. He stayed with Madrid until 2010 and then moved to play for other teams.
He ended his career while playing for New York Cosmos, leaving a respectable career behind him, and a lot of money in the bank.
Mohamed Salah
Net Worth: $90 Million
The Liverpool player, often referred to as "The Pharaoh", is considered being the best of the best. His striking abilities have been believed to be the greatest in modern-day soccer.
His career began playing for an Egyptian team, however, soon enough his talent was noticed and so was his bank account. He is worth over $90 million, making him one of the wealthiest Egyptian players recorded.
Didier Drogba
Net Worth: $90 Million
Didier Drogba is a former soccer player from Ivory Coast. At one stage of his career, he earned over $15 million a year, titling him, as one of the top-earning players in the world, at that time.
Didier is known as one of the greatest African soccer players in history and is also recognized as one of the best strikers wearing the Chelsea uniform.
Steven Gerrard
Net Worth: $90 Million
The Central mid-fielder and striker, Steven Gerrard has a net worth of $90 million, a combination of an annual salary of $13 million and endorsements from companies he presented such as Adidas, Lucozade, and others.
He is better recognized wearing the Liverpudlian red uniform, however, he has shared his talent with LA Galaxy too. While he doesn't play actively anymore, he hasn't really left the field and now serves as a manager.
Robert Lewandowski
Net Worth: $85 Million
He began his soccer career in Poland where he was born. He has since earned some big bucks playing for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich and of course, Barcelona FC.
Lewandowski was considered one of the best goal-scorers in the Polish league, scoring 21 goals in just 32 appearances. He had been titled the best Polish player of the year in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Net Worth: $90 Million
Besides the millions that he has, Schweinsteiger has also won himself some impressive titles and bronze and gold medals in the FIFA World Cup. The German player signed a contract with the youth team of Bayern Munich at the age of 14 and by 2022, when he was just 18, his team won the youth championship.
This led to Schweinsteiger signing on with Bayern Munich and becoming one the greatest soccer players of his generation, and one of the wealthiest too.
Paul Pogba
Net Worth: $125 Million
Paul Pogba is Juventus's midfielder, who reached a net worth of $125 million before his 30th birthday. He had an impressive appearance while playing for Manchester United and is on of the French national team's emblems.
In 2018 Pogba led his national team to victory when they returned home with the World Cup. Since then he has been considered one of the greatest soccer players in the world.
Pele
Net Worth: $100 Million
Pele was, without a doubt, one of the legendary figures of the 20th century, not only in soccer but in sports in general. At his peak, he was the highest-paid athlete alive and held a record to his name.
In his entire career, Edson Arantes do Nascimento (known as Pele) scored 541 goals in the top division, with a total of 1,297 goals in his entire career.
Ryan Giggs
Net Worth: $60 Million
Ryan Giggs was born in Wales to a professional rugby player, so the fame and fortune were never strangers. Giggs made his wealth by playing for the Welsh national team and representing Great Britain in the 2012 Olympic games.
At his time, he was one of Manchester United's rising stars and has since bought his share of Salford City FC. For a short period of time, he was even assigned as Manchester United's interim manager.
Franck Ribéry
Net Worth: $70 Million
Franck Ribéry was a left-side winger known for his speed, precise passing, and unique style. Over his career, he nourished his fortune playing for Olympique de Marseille, Bayern Munich, Fiorentina, and Salernitana.
He is considered one of the best dribblers on the field and had often been referred to as the "jewel of French football". He is worth just over $70 Million.
Xavi
Net Worth: $40 Million
Up until 2019, Xavier Hernández Creus was one of the best soccer players in the world. For most of his life, he played for Barcelona FC but ended his career playing for Al Sadd SC. In 2011 he was runner-up to Messi for the title UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award.
After retiring from ball kicking, he became the team manager for Al Sadd and then Barcelona. That's where he is making all of those dollars.
Andrés Iniesta
Net Worth: $120 Million
The Spanish Iniesta drew soccer coaches from a very young age. He rose to greatness while captaining the youth Barcelona team, and in 2002 he was already part of Barcelona FC. Iniesta has become one of the most popular players on the team.
In 2018 he was signed on with the Japanese Vissel Kobe club, earning himself $30 million a year. That turned him into one of the highest-paid athletes in the entire world.
Eden Hazard
Net Worth: $100 Million
This Belgian player is better known as Chelsea's wonder and attacking midfielder. Worth more than $100 million, he has since paved his way to Real Madrid, which contribute tremendously to his fortune.
Over the years, money is not the only thing Hazard has made. He had earned himself the honor of UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year (2008-2009/2009-2010), and the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year (2010-2011/2022-2012).
Arjen Robben
Net Worth: $80 Million
Known for his furious temper on the soccer field, Arjen Robben has a net worth of $80 million. He began his career in The Netherlands and in 2002 he signed with PSG after performing remarkably with FC Groningen.
After signing with Chelsea, he spent most of the time on the bench, recovering from a severe injury. He passed through the greatest clubs such as Real Madrid and Bayern and ended his career on the grass playing for FC Groningen.
Ronaldinho
Net Worth: $90 Million
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira is one of the best soccer players Brazil ever exported. He retired in 2018 and was considered one of the best players the world had ever known, given the title of best player in 2004 and 2005.
At the early age of 17, he made the Brazilian first team and while playing for Gremio's senior team, in 52 appearances, he scored 21 goals. He ended his career playing for Fluminense.
Kaka
Net Worth: $90 Million
Until 2017, Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (known as Kaka) was one of the most inspiring soccer players in the world. It was not only because of his annual salary of $10 million, which adds up to a net worth of $90 million.
The Brazilian legend has also had a unique technique on the pitch and an extraordinary vision of the game. He would bounce the ball by players, play a team game, and of course score goals in the most profound and admirable way.
Fernando Torres
Net Worth: $90 Million
When Pepsi and Adidas signed Fernando Torres to be their spokesperson, they also signed a $10 million a year salary, just for the endorsement. Besides that, his talent earns him a whopping $20 million.
He began his career on the grass at the age of five and Atletico Madrid was the first to sign him for his professional career. He has since spectacularly performed wearing the uniforms of Liverpool, Chelsea, and Milan.
John Terry
Net Worth: $70 Million
Up until 2021, John Terry was the assistant manager for Aston Villa. Before that, he played for Aston Villa and Chelsea, which explains his net worth of $70 million big ones.
While still kicking the ball on the field, Terry was the English national team's captain. He is known to be one of the greatest central defenders of his time.
Ronaldo
Net Worth: $160 Million
Brazilian Ronaldo Luiz Nazario de Lima is one of the best soccer players the world has known. Even though he had already retired, his name is still associated with the greatest of them all. It is not by chance that he was also nicknamed 'The Phenomenon' ("O Fenomeno").
He earned his loot playing for the Brazilian national team and for Real Madrid CF, where he had a strong influence (and a lot of money).
Roy Keane
Net Worth: $60 Million
Roy Keane took his first footsteps in the world of soccer, playing for Nottingham Forest F.C. He then moved to Manchester United and then ended his professional career at Celtic.
Often referred to as the best Irish footballer in history, at his peak, Keane earned himself more than $60,000 a week for kicking the ball. Now he is worth more than $60 million dollars.
Samuel Eto'o
Net Worth: $95 Million
Along his career, the retired Cameroonian soccer player gathered many titles, achievements, and a lot of dollars. At one point in his career, he was one of the highest-paid players in the world. He proudly wore the Barcelona uniform, which later on would feature Messi, Ronaldinho, and others.
Eto'o comes from one of the most deprived areas in Cameron and grew up only dreaming of wealth and success. He has since achieved all of his goals and is worth 95 million big ones.
Francesco Totti
Net Worth: $100 Million
Totti began his soccer career when he was just eight years old, which gave him plenty of time to collect all of those dollars into his bank account. 100 million of them.
He came to fame in the 1998-1999 season. One year later, he was titled 'The best Italian player of the year". So these days, he is not only recognized as an Italian soccer legend but he is also identified as a very rich one too.
Alexandre Pato
Net Worth: $145 Million
As of today, Alexander Pato is one of the wealthiest soccer players in the world. Up until 2013, he was proudly kicking the ball for his national team Brazil, but today plays only for Orlando City.
The talented striker had a total of 27 appearances wearing his national uniform, scoring a total of 10 goals. Now we know where all those dollars come from.