Football’s spending habit shows no signs of slowing as transfer fees and wages continue to increase year-on-year.
The arrival of the PIF-back Saudi Pro League sides has blown the previously superior European market out of the water with previously unimaginable wages and inflated transfer fees for players deemed past their sell-by dates by Europe’s elite sides.
Now, according to Forbes, we are able to take a look at the ten highest-paid players on the planet, with the Saudi Pro League unsurprisingly taking up a healthy share of the list.
World’s highest-paid players revealed
10. Kevin De Bruyne (£30m per year)
A Premier League and Manchester City hero, Kevin De Bruyne remains one of Europe’s greatest players, justifying such a large expenditure upon signing his current deal back in 2021.
However, recurring injury issues over recent seasons have seen his influence on the side decline drastically, suggesting a drastic pay cut or even permanent exit from the Etihad Stadium could be on the horizon.
9. Sadio Mane (£40m per year)
Once judged as one of Europe’s most destructive attacking talents, Sadio Mane was a key figure in Jurgen Klopp’s revolution at Liverpool over the past decade.
A move to Bayern Munich, and later to Al-Nassr, saw Mane’s performances decline drastically, making a big-money move to the Middle East make perfect sense.
Now earning big money alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Aymeric Laporte, Mane is enjoying one final cash influx before eventually winding down his incredible career.
8. Mohamed Salah (£40.8m per year)
Arguably the greatest player in the Premier League since his debut for Liverpool in 2017, Mohamed Salah continues to tear defences apart into his 30s at Anfield.
His salary, while undoubtedly massive, is one of the most justified on this list, honouring a living legend of the game credited with restoring Liverpool to their place near the top of the English game once again.
7. Vinicius Jr. (£42m per year)
This year’s Ballon d’Or favourite has been rewarded for his exceptional rise over recent years at the Bernabeu, earning his spot as La Liga’s second-highest earner at the time of writing.
The Brazilian played a key role in Real Madrid’s two most recent Champions League victories, scoring in both the 2022 and 2024 finals.
6. Erling Haaland (£46m per year)
The greatest striker on earth without a shadow of a doubt, Erling Haaland is well on his way to breaking the record set by Ronaldo and Lionel Messi having grown to new levels since arriving at Manchester City.
Haaland is the highest-paid player in the Premier League, having torn the league apart since the moment he touched down on English shores.
5. Kylian Mbappe (£69m per season)
Kylian Mbappe has been perhaps the biggest and most marketable name in European football since the respective departures of Ronaldo and Messi, with an impressive wage packet to match.
Benefitting further from a free transfer to Real Madrid boosting his wage demands, Mbappe is by far and away the highest-earning footballer in Europe, although he’s still nowhere near the top of this list…
4. Karim Benzema (£80m per year)
One of the greatest strikers of his generation, Benzema’s influence and trophy catalogue is rarely beaten by his peers, making him one of the biggest names to make to move to Saudi Arabia in recent years.
Rewarded for his reputation and star image, the exposure brought about by Benzema to the developing league has been matched by an obscene salary.
3. Neymar (£84.7 per year)
Another superstar leaving behind a remarkable legacy in Europe, Neymar hit the headlines in 2023 after ditching Paris St. Germain for Al-Hilal in a rumoured £80 million move.
The tricky Brazilian suffered a season-ending injury shortly after signing, although his imminent return is expected to further boost the excitement building around the Saudi Pro League moving forward.
2. Lionel Messi (£104m per year)
Pele, George Best, David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic… many famous players have made the move to the MLS over the years, but none quite like Lionel Messi.
The Argentine’s arrival coincided with a boom in interest surrounding the American league, with Messi tasked with helping establish Beckham’s new Inter Miami franchise over the next few years.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (£219.5m per year)
Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia was ultimately the first move in an operation to develop the league to the level we see today, with Al-Nassr’s salary offer surpassing any figure the footballing world had ever been able to conceive.
The Portuguese hero remains a key figure in the Middle East, topping the goalscoring charts last season as well as taking a keen interest in developing the nation as a whole.
Working out to roughly £4 million per week, the 39-year-old would be wise to extend his stay for as long as he physically can.