Kylian Mbappé surpassed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest paid footballer on the planet, according to Forbes. The annual list claims that the French superstar earns around $128 million for the current campaign. The staggering total is the company’s record for its annual listing.
Mbappe just signed a massive new contract earlier this summer. The deal with the Parisian club runs until 2025. The France international’s rise up the rankings was certainly substantial. Forbes ranked Mbappé fourth on its list last year with annual salaries amounting to around $43 million.
However, Messi remains a close second in the rankings with a total earnings of $120 million. The Argentine maintained his second place from the previous year. However, while his ranking remained the same, his salary increased by $10 million between 2021 and 2022.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, dropped from first to third on the company’s list. The 37-year-old forward is raking in around $100 million this season. This is almost $25 million less than the previous year. Manchester United can’t seem to get the most out of their club legend so far during the current campaign. The Portuguese international has not started a Premier League match for almost two months.
Forbes ranks the highest paid soccer players
Perhaps the most surprising names on the Forbes list were Eden Hazard and Iniesta. Hazard ($31 million) is currently in the midst of an unfortunate contract with Real Madrid. The Belgian actually moved up two places to eighth in the 2022 salary rankings.
Iniesta ($30m) was ninth on the list, one place ahead of Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne ($29m). The 38-year-old legend still currently plays for Vissel Kobe in Japan.
Neymar ($87 million), Mohamed Salah ($53 million), Erling Haaland ($39 million) and Robert Lewandowski ($35 million) round out Forbes’ top 10 list. Figures for all players are before taxes and also before agents’ fees are deducted from their salaries.
The complete list of the highest paid soccer players in 2022 according to Forbes:
Kylian MbappéLionel MessiCristiano RonaldoNeymarMohamed SalahErling HaalandRobert LewandowskiEden HazardIniestaKevin De Bruyne
