The highest-paid players in world football ft. Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar | OneFootball

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Money in football has always been a controversial subject. Do footballers get paid too much money in relation to other occupations that are, arguably, more important in society?

Of course, it's not the footballers' fault themselves. If they're offered crazy wages, they're not exactly going to turn it down and are entitled to attempt to earn as much money as possible during their relatively short careers.

But following the boom of football in Saudi Arabia, the wages we're currently witnessed have spiralled out of control. It's now almost inconceivable how much money footballers are actually earning.

But who are the highest-paid players in world football right now? It's often hard to pinpoint exactly how much footballers are being paid because contracts come in all shapes and sizes and include various bonuses, revenue shares and clauses. Therefore, we're looking solely at 'basic salary' - the amount they're paid each year from their club in question.

And thanks to data from French outlet L'Equipe, we can look at the top 10 earners in world football in terms of basic salary.

10. Kalidou Koulibaly - €30 million (Al-Hilal)

Kalidou Koulibaly was considered one of the best centre backs in Europe while at Napoli. The Senegalese joined the Italian club from Genk in 2014 for just £6.5 million. It proved to be an incredible signing for the club.

Koulibaly spent eight seasons in Naples and, while he only got his hands on the Coppa Italia during his time, will always be remembered fondly by everyone associated with the club. He left for Chelsea in a deal worth £33 million after playing more than 300 times for the club.

His move to Chelsea didn’t go to plan, though. It was a mess of a campaign for the Blues and despite playing 32 times in all competitions, the centre back was allowed to leave after just one year.

In came Saudi Pro League side, Al-Hilal, who splashed£20 million on the defender. Koulibaly will earn an annual salary of €30 million.

9. Riyad Mahrez - €35 million (Al Ahli)

Riyad Mahrez arrived in English football from relative obscurity with Championship club, Leicester, signing him from Le Havre for just £450,000 in January 2014. At the time, Mahrez was in the Championship but soon earned promotion to the Premier League. The Algerian took a season to get familiar with top-flight football - scoring just four goals in 30 matches during the 2014/15 campaign.

But after narrowly surviving relegation, Leicester and Mahrez did the unthinkable by winning the Premier League. Mahrez scored 17 goals in 37 matches to play a huge role in one of the greatest stories in English football history.

He spent two further seasons at the King Power before a £60 million move to Manchester City in 2018. It’s at the Etihad that Mahrez took his game to the next level, despite being victim to Pep Guardiola’s rotation. But in five seasons Mahrez scored 78 goals in 236 appearances, lifting four league titles, two FA Cups, three League Cups and the Champions League.

Despite still being capable at the very highest level, a move to Saudi Arabia beckoned in 2023 and Al Ahli snapped him up for £30 million.

=7 Sadio Mane - €40 million (Al Nassr)

In 2014, Mane arrived in the Premier League when Southampton signed him from Red Bull Salzburg for £11.8 million. And it didn’t take long for the winger to show off his incredible talent, scoring 25 goals in two seasons, including the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history.

He joined Liverpool in 2016 for a fee worth £34 million - and it proved to be an incredible piece of business for the club. Mane went on to become one of the best and most exciting attackers in world football, ending his Liverpool career with 120 goals in 269 appearances. He helped the club become the best in Europe, reaching three Champions League - winning one of them - as well as winning the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Super Cup and Club World Cup.

In 2022, he joined Bayern Munich for a potential £35 million but the move didn’t go to plan. Injuries and teammate disagreements plagued his career in Bavaria and he was allowed to leave after just 12 months.

=7 Jordan Henderson - €40 million (Al-Ettifaq)

Jordan Henderson had established himself as a Liverpool legend after 12 incredibly successful years at Anfield. Having signed from Sunderland for £16 million in 2011, the midfielder found life difficult on Merseyside.

But he showed tremendous workrate and commitment to earn himself the captaincy and help transform the club under Jurgen Klopp to become champions of England, Europe and the world. He even had a signature trophy lift.

However, he rather controversially left the club for Saudi Arabia to play under Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq picking up a sweet €40 million every year.

6. Lionel Messi - €45 million (Inter Miami)

The greatest footballer in football history? Almost definitely. But Lionel Messi isn’t the highest-paid player in the world. Far from it, in fact.

Don’t get us wrong, Messi certainly isn’t poor. He’s picking up a lovely €45 million every year and it’s difficult to argue anyone deserves more than that. But looking at the rest of the list, maybe he does.

But Messi’s Inter Miami contract is far more than just the basic salary. When signing his deal, he got shares of the club, a revenue share of Apple MLS season pass, Adidas’ revenue share and a subsidised option of a part-ownership of a team in the MLS after he retires.

With all those clauses and benefits, it could prove to be the most lucrative in football history even if his basic salary right now isn’t.

5. Kylian Mbappe - €70 million (Paris Saint-Germain)

The only player playing in Europe on this list - something you simply couldn’t imagine a few years ago.

Kylian Mbappe burst onto the scene at Monaco during the 2016/17 season as a youngster, scoring 26 goals as a teenager. It led to PSG loaning the striker ahead of a world record permanent deal worth €145 million plus €35 million in add-ons.

The striker has now been at the Parc Des Princes for six seasons but hasn’t managed to lead the club to Champions League glory. He has, however, scored 212 goals in 260 appearances in all competitions.

In 2023, he was offered an eye-watering300 million euro annual salary which would have seen him leap to the top of this list, but he rejected it.

He’s still at PSG as things stand but he’s been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid in the not-too-distant future.

=3. N’Golo Kante - €100 million (Al-Ittihad)

We’ve already spoken about one part of Leicester’s incredible Premier League title triumph and that brings us to another huge cog.

Kante was signed by Leicester in 2015 for just £5.6 million and helped win the Foxes the league title in his very first campaign at the club. Unfortunately for Leicester, clubs came calling and he left for Chelsea after just a year in a deal worth £32 million.

Kante would go and win his second consecutive Premier League title at Stamford Bridge, picking up the PFA Player of the Year in the process with another sensational campaign.

Kante went on to spend seven brilliant seasons at Chelsea and was a model professional both on and off the pitch before his move to Saudi’s Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023.

=3. Neymar - €100 million (Al Hilal)

If it wasn’t for Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar may well have gone on to become the best player in world football at one stage of his career.

But despite all the potential and promise, Neymar has never really been able to call himself the best in the world.

The Brazilian made a name for himself in his native country with Santos before Barcelona paid €57.1 million for him in 2013. He spent four seasons at Camp Nou alongside Messi and Luis Suarez, scoring 105 goals in 186 appearances in all competitions.

He then became the most expensive player in football history when Paris Saint-Germain paid €222 million for him in 2017.

In2023, he moved to Al Hilal and will be earning €100 million every year.

=1. Cristiano Ronaldo - €200 million (Al Nassr)

One of the greatest players to have ever played the game. Ronaldo was the first high-profile star to make the move to Saudi Arabia before everyone else followed. After a failed second spell at Manchester United, Ronaldo made the untrodden move to Saudi Arabia and Al-Nassr.

While his €200 million salary is the joint-most in football history, like Messi, his basic wage is just the start of the story in terms of his total earnings.

=1. Karim Benzema - €200 million (Al-Ittihad)

After 14 unbelievable seasons at Real Madrid where he scored 354 goals, Karim Benzema decided to call an end to his time at the Bernabeu for the riches of Saudi Arabia in 2023.

At the age of 35, you can’t exactly blame the French striker for wanting a final payday before he retires. And what a payday it is, picking up a €200 million annual salary at Al-Ittihad.