Kevin De Bruyne earns $35 million per year at Manchester City. The Belgian midfield maestro has been with the Premier League club for around 10 years. In his 630 club appearances, De Bryune has scored 151 goals and provided 257 assists. He has 23 career trophies, including a Champions League and four back-to-back Premier League titles. The 33-year-old has scored 30 goals for the national teams in 107 games. He has also played for Chelsea and VfL Wolfsburg.
Mohamed Salah makes $35 million/year at Liverpool FC. The 32-year-old has been with the Premier League side since the 2017-18 season. He has played for Chelsea FC, AS Roma and Fiorentina among other top clubs. The right winger has 309 goals and 156 assists to his name in 631 appearances at the club level. He has also scored 58 goals in 101 games for the Egypt national team. Salah had led Liverpool to one Champions League, one Premier League and one FIFA Club World Cup title, taking his tally to 11 career trophies.
Vinicius Jr earns $40 million/year for anchoring Real Madrid’s attack. The youngster took charge after the departure of big names and played a crucial role in his side’s Champions League wins. He left Brazilian Club Flamengo to join the Los Blancos in 2018. The 24-year-old has played 364 games, netting 116 goals and assisting 90 times. He has scored five goals in 37 appearances for the Brazil national team. Vinicius has won 14 trophies in his senior football career, including two Champions League and two FIFA Club World Cup titles.
Erling Haaland gets paid $46 million/year for his services at Manchester City. The Norwegian striker is shattering records in the Premier League after grabbing the limelight for his goalscoring abilities in the Bundesliga. He has scored 246 goals while providing 51 assists in just 309 games in club football. The 24-year-old captains his national side and has netted 38 goals in 39 appearances. Haaland has won 11 trophies in his career, including two Premier League titles and a Champions League with City. Pep Guardiola’s lethal weapon has already won a European golden boot. The Norwegian goal machine has recently signed a new 9.5 years contract, and is now set to be a central piece of the Man City attack until 2034.
Sadio Mane receives a $48 million/year salary at Al Nasser. The left winger from Senegal left Bayern Munich to join the Saudi Pro League franchise in 2023. Besides Munich, Mane has also represented Liverpool, Southampton, RB Salzburg and FC Metz. The 32-year-old has scored 230 goals and provided 110 assists in 562 games at the club level. He has 111 caps for his country and has found the net on 45 occasions. Mane has won 14 career trophies, including one Africa Cup and one Champions League.
Lionel Messi earns $60 million/year in salaries at Inter Miami FC. The reigning FIFA World Cup champion joined the MLS Club in 2023. He started his senior career with FC Barcelona and represented them for 17 years. Messi has won the most Ballon d’Ors (8) and most European golden boots (6). He is the most decorated player in soccer history, with 46 career trophies, including one FIFA World Cup, two Copa America and four Champions League titles. Messi has 744 goals and 357 assists in 914 appearances at the club level and 112 goals in 191 games for Argentina.
Kylian Mbappe is on a $70 million/year payroll at Real Madrid. The French international is among the best players in the world right now. He won a FIFA World Cup at 20 and scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final at 24. Mbappe dominated the French league during his sting with Paris Saint Germain, bagging 256 goals and 106 assists in 308 games. He has also scored 48 goals in 86 games for his country. The 26-year-old has already won 21 trophies in his career.
Neymar Jr. has a $80 million annual salary at Al Hilal. The 2016 Olympic gold medalist moved to Saudi Arabia in 2023 and has only played seven games, scoring one goal and providing three assists. He kicked off his career at the Brazilian club Santos FC. The 32-year-old joined the Spanish giants, FC Barcelona, in 2013. Neymar, combined with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, created one of the greatest footballing trios of all time. The winger also played for Ligue 1 side Paris Saint Germain. He has scored 360 goals and has provided 220 assists in 591 appearances. Neymar is the leading scorer of the Brazil national team, with 79 goals in 128 matches. He has won 28 career trophies.
Karim Benzema makes $100 million/year in on-field earnings at Al Ittihad. The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner joined the Saudi Arabian side in 2023 after representing Real Madrid for 15 years. He has played 839 games in his club career and has found the net 446 times. The French international has 37 goals in 97 games for his country. He has won 33 trophies in his career, including five UEFA Champions Leagues with Madrid and one UEFA Nations League with France. The 37-year-old announced his retirement from the national team after sitting out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup due to a thigh injury.
Cristiano Ronaldo earns a whopping $220/year million at Al Nasser. The Portuguese forward joined the Saudi Pro League in 2023. He is a 5x Champions League and Ballon d’Or winner. The highest goalscorer in soccer history has played for top clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. Ronaldo has scored 776 goals in 1034 appearances at the club level and 135 goals in 215 appearances for the Portugal national team. The 39-year-old has won 33 trophies in his career and is among the few players to have won the Spanish, the English and the Italian league.
