Manchester United’s golden egg, Cristiano Ronaldo enjoys the highest salary in football for the 2021/2022 season and overtakes his longtime rival Lionel Messi, according to Forbes.
Following his return to Manchester United, the Portuguese superstar is expected to earn $ 125 million pre-tax this season, with $ 70 million coming from his salary and bonuses alone.
Messi, meanwhile, is set to earn $ 110 million in the 2021-22 season, making him the second-biggest salary in the game. The 34-year-old has joined Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona this year.
Messi’s teammates at PSG Neymar and Kylian Mbappé sit third and fourth on the list, with the duo expected to earn $ 95 million and $ 43 million respectively.
Neymar, who recently signed a four-year extension, is expected to earn more than Ronaldo in terms of income on the pitch ($ 75m) but does not have the same pulling power when it comes to endorsements, which is expected to bring in $ 20 million.
Overall, the Parisian squad have three of the top five players on the planet, as they look to build a team capable of winning the coveted Champions League trophy for the first time. Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, the only African player in the ranking, is in the top five. The Egyptian is expected to earn $ 41million this season.
Robert Lewandowski, Andres Iniesta, Paul Pogba, Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard round out the top 10.
Forbes compiles his list by speaking to clubs, sponsors, player agents and financial experts and estimates that the Top 10 earners will earn a pre-tax profit of $ 585 million this season, an increase from the previous season. last year of $ 570 million.
Here are the top 10 highest paid footballers in the world *
Cristiano Ronaldo – $ 125 million
Lionel Messi – $ 110 million
Neymar – $ 95 million
Kylian Mbappé – $ 43 million
Mohamed Salah – $ 41 million
Robert Lewandowski – $ 35 million
Andres Iniesta – $ 35 million
Paul Pogba – $ 34 million
Gareth Bale – $ 32 million
Eden Hazard – $ 29 million
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