Top 13 richest football players

Here are the top 13 richest football or soccer players in the world. Brunei prince Faiq Bolkiah tops the list, with Messi and Ronaldo following in.

1. Faiq Bolkiah | $20 billion

Team: Chonburi F.C., Thailand

Records: Richest football player in the world

Faiq Bolkiah is a Bruneian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Chonburi F.C. in Thailand and the Brunei national team. Bolkiah is the richest footballer in the world, with an estimated net worth of $20 billion. He has been capped by the Brunei national team since 2014 and has captained the team since 2018. He is the Prince of Brunei. Bolkiah’s father is Jefri Bolkiah, the Prince of Brunei, and his uncle is Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei.

2. Lionel Messi | $600 million

Team: Miami Inter

Records include the most Liga goals, the most Balloon D’Or winners, and many more.

FIFA Balloon D’Or, World Soccer Player of the Year, and numerous other honors

Books: Messi, the “GOAT,” and more

Lionel Messi: The Greatest is the movie.

Widely considered to be one of the greatest footballers of all time, Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. He is the second-richest footballer in the world, with a net worth of $600 million.

He has won eight Ballon d’Or awards, a record in itself. He is the player to have been awarded the coveted trophy the most number of times. He has also won six European Golden Shoes, and in 2020 he was named to the Ballon d’Or Dream Team.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo | $500 million

Al Nassar team

Records: Football’s top goal scorer among many others

Honors: FIFA Balloon d’Or, European Golden Shoe, and numerous others

Books: The Rise of a Winner, Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo: The World at its Feet is the film.

Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, a forward for the Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, also serves as captain of the Portugal national team. The most Ballon d’Or winners among European players, he has won five.

Ronaldo has scored the most goals in international football history, making him the all-time top goal scorer. He is frequently matched against fellow soccer legend Lionel Messi and is regarded as  the best football players of all time.

4. David Beckham | $450 million

Group: United Arab Emirates

Records: The only player to win four League titles in four different countries, plus more

Honors: BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Premier League Player of the Month, and more

Books: Beckham’s autobiography, My World

King Arthur: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is the movie.

A professional football player, David Beckham specialized in offensive midfield play. He was one of the most well-liked athletes in the world and is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. Beckham was a player for AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and the LA Galaxy. Six Premier League wins, one La Liga title, and one MLS Cup were among his 19 major trophy victories. Football player Beckham announced his retirement in 2013. His $450 million net worth now places him as the fourth richest football player.

5. Dave Whelan | $210 million

Crewe Alexandra and Blackburn Rovers as a team

Awards: Borough Independence

Books: David Whelan, Autobiography, Playing to Win

English football player Dave Whelan was a winger. He was born on November 24, 1936, in Bradford, England, and during his playing career, he represented Crewe Alexandra and Blackburn Rovers. In 1959–60, he and Blackburn Rovers won the Football League Third Division North championship. 1966 marked his retirement from the NFL. He then established the Wigan Athletic football club and went on to become a prosperous businessman. He has a $210 million net worth.

6. Neymar Jr. | $200 million

The Paris Saint-Germain team

Records: Santos’ all-time top scorer, the youngest player to reach 100 caps for Brazil, and many more

FIFA Puskas, Balloon d’Or, Player of the Year, and numerous other honors

Books: My Story, Neymar: Talks with My Father

Neymar: The Perfect Chaos is the movie.

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, known as Neymar Jr. or simply Neymar, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team. Neymar is the greatest Brazilian football player of all time. He won two La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey titles, and the UEFA Champions League in 2015 with Barcelona.

He has helped Brazil win the Olympic gold medal in 2016 and the Copa América in 2019.

7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic | $190 million

Team: Serie A Club AC Milan

Records: Oldest player ever to score in Serie A, Greatest Striker of All-Time, and more

Awards: Best MLS Player ESPY Award, FIFA Puskas, Golden Foot, Serie A Player of the Year, and many more

Books: I Am Zlatan Ibrahimović (autobiography)

Movie: Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (Cameo)

Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic plays as a striker for Serie A club AC Milan and the Sweden national team. Ibrahimovic, who has played for Barcelona, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, LA Galaxy, and AC Milan, is the greatest striker of all time. He has won 33 trophies in his career, including 11 league titles, five UEFA Champions League titles, and one FIFA Club World Cup title. He has helped Sweden qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2018.

8. $180 million Kylian Mbappe

Team: Paris Saint-Germain, a team inLigue 1

Records: Four goals in two final FIFA World Cup appearances, plus more

Awards: Kopa Trophy, Golden Boy, FIFA World Cup Golden Boot, and more

Books: World Soccer Star Kylian Mbappe and Other Works

French football player Kylian Mbappé is a forward for both the France national team and Paris Saint-Germain, a team in League 1. As one of the most exciting young players of his generation and one of the finest players in the world, he is highly recognized. With PSG, Mbappé has won three Coupe de France titles, two Coupe de la Ligue wins, and four Ligue 1 crowns. In Ligue 1, he also took home the Golden Boot awards in 2018–19 and 2021–2022.

Mbappé has scored 17 goals in his 21 appearances for France. In addition to being voted the FIFA World Cup’s Best Young Player, he assisted France in winning the competition.

Wayne Rooney (#9), worth $170 million

Group: D.C. United

Records: The second-highest goalscorer and player with the most caps for England.

Honors include FIFPro World Young Player of the Year, MLS Best XI, and more.

Books: Wayne Rooney’s autobiography, My Decade in the Premier League

Rooney (Netflix Series) is the movie.

Former English professional football player Wayne Rooney was a striker. He is regarded as one of the greatest players in Premier League and English history.

With Manchester United, Rooney took home 13 trophies, which included five Premier League crowns, one FIFA Club World Cup title, and one UEFA Champions League title. 2021 marked his retirement from the NFL.

10. $160 million Ronaldo Luís Nazário

Real Madrid is the team.

Records: highest goals in a single La Liga season, third-greatest goal scorer in Brazil, and more

Honors: Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year, FIFA World Player of the Year, World Soccer Player of the Year, European Golden Shoe, and more

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, better known by his stage name Ronaldo, is a prosperous Brazilian businessman and former football player. He is considered by many to be among the best players in the sport’s history. Over the course of his remarkable football career, Ronaldo broke multiple records and amassed a sizable fortune. He was the youngest winner of the coveted Ballon d’Or award and the most expensive player in football history at the age of 21, a record that still stands today.

Since 2000, he has been a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, leveraging his notoriety and connections to further a range of humanitarian causes.11. $145 million for Alexandre Pato

Group: São Paulo FC

Records: FIFA Senior Men’s Tournament Goal Scorer with the Youngest Age

Awards: Italian Super Cup champion, Golden Boy, Serie A Young Footballer of the Year, and numerous others.

Brazilian-born football player Alexandre Pato competes in Major League Soccer for Orlando City SC as a forward. His speed, dribbling, and finishing prowess are well-known. Pato started his career at Internacional, where he was the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup winner and the Copa Libertadores. After that, he relocated to AC Milan, where he was the 2011 Serie A champion. In addition, Pato has represented Orlando City, Tianjin Quanjian, Villarreal, Corinthians, São Paulo, and Chelsea. He has 10 goals in 27 appearances for the Brazilian national team.

12. Wayne Rooney ($145,000,000)

Group: D.C. United

Records: In 2008, 2009, 2014, and 2015, he earned the England Player of the Year title four times. with 120 international caps and 53 goals

Honors: FIFPro World Young Player of the Year, MLS Best XI, and BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year

English professional football manager Wayne Rooney was once a striker for the Manchester United. He has scored more goals than any other player in Manchester United’s history as well as the England national team. He is the all-time top scorer for both Manchester United and England, and he currently coaches D.C. United. His estimated net worth is $145 million.

His lucrative contracts—which include his time spent in Major League Soccer (MLS)—endorsements, image rights, and other sources are responsible for his wealth. Furthermore, during his tenure as Derby County’s manager, Rooney withheld his own pay in order to reimburse the players.

13. Gareth Bale ($145,000,000)

Group: LAFC

Records: Bale is the winner of 15 trophies, three La Liga championships and five Champions Leagues.

Honors: The Football Manager Team of the Decade, Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Player of the Year, and NFL Young Player of the Season

Gareth Frank Bale OBE (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a winger. He is widely regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and one of the greatest Welsh players of all time.

Bale started his career at Southampton, where he made his professional debut in 2006. He moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, where he became one of the amazing wingers in the Premier League. He helped Tottenham reach the UEFA Champions League final in 2011 and was named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2013.

Richest football players in the world: Top 13 list

The top 13 richest football or soccer players in the world are as follows:

Football has seen the emergence of amazing talents who have amassed enormous money in addition to being excellent players. These football players have raised the bar for financial success with their record-breaking transfer prices and rich endorsement deals. We should anticipate seeing some fresh talent on the aforementioned list as the sport develops.