Is there a footballer richer than Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? What will happen to Neymar? GOAL surveys the wealthiest players in world football, highlighting earnings and fortunes.
Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated European football for more than a decade. Both have worn the jerseys of renowned clubs, and their financial profiles place them among the highest-earning athletes on the planet.
According to Forbes, Messi topped last year’s earnings with a gross income of 130 million dollars. Cristiano Ronaldo trails in third, behind Messi and LeBron James, who earned 121.2 million dollars, while Ronaldo recorded around 115 million. Meanwhile, Messi’s PSG teammate Neymar sits close behind in fourth, earning nearly 95 million dollars. Among the top ten, these are the only footballers listed. But is Messi the wealthiest footballer overall? GOAL investigates the landscape of football riches…
Who is the richest footballer in the world?
Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar lead the earnings charts, yet their cumulative wealth does not match the top spot. Faik Bolkiah, prince of Brunei, is cited with an estimated net worth around 20 billion dollars, placing him in a different league entirely as the richest football-related figure in the world.
Faik Bolkiah
The Brunei national team captain hails from one of the globe’s wealthiest families. His father is Jefri Bolkiah, the prince of Brunei, and his uncle Hassanal is the sultan of the country.
The 24-year-old spent his youth in the academies of Southampton, Chelsea, and Leicester City. After seeking a foothold in Europe’s top leagues proved elusive, he moved to Maritime in Portugal in 2020. A year later he joined Chonburi in Thailand, making 14 league appearances and contributing four assists. Bolkiah has also played six times for his national team, scoring once.
Mathieu Flamini
The former Arsenal midfielder isn’t celebrated purely for his playing career; he has built a formidable business portfolio. Flamini co-founded GF Biochemicals, a major producer of levulinic acid derivatives, with operations in Italy and the Netherlands. His partner is Pasquale Granate. Flamini’s ventures contribute to a net worth well into the billions.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese icon stands not only as a football great but also as a business powerhouse. Endorsements with Nike, ZTE, KFC, Samsung, and others have helped shape CR7 into a brand in its own right. He runs a line of luxury apparel and accessories and owns a sizable hotel portfolio under the CR7 Pestana banner. Ronaldo’s net worth increased further after his move to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
Leo Messi
Messi mirrors Ronaldo in branding prowess, with a long-running clothing venture and a focus on hospitality through the MiM hotel chain. He launched the Messi Store, a Barcelona-based retail brand, in 2019 and partnered with Adidas for a lifetime deal. He has invested about 32 million dollars in MiM Hotels as of 2017 and remains associated with major sponsors such as Pepsi, MasterCard, and Budweiser. Messi’s net worth is reported around 400 million dollars.
David Beckham
Even after retiring, the English icon remains a global figure. Beckham is a co-owner of Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer and serves as a brand ambassador for H&M, Adidas, Diageo, and The Real. Reports note dividends from ventures linked to his business empire in the mid-2010s. His overall net worth is estimated near 400 million dollars.
Who are the 10 richest footballers in the world? The list centers on a mix of playing earnings, sponsorships, and business ventures that extend far beyond the pitch. The balance of on-field success and off-field investments keeps these names at the center of the conversation about football wealth. (Goal)