19 January 2024 , 07:00
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Saudi Arabia are proving themselves to be the king of cash - which is nothing new in the footballing landscape.
Those from the kingdom have begun throwing huge sums at improving their domestic scene and have made Cristiano Ronaldo the highest-earning player by a mile as he represents Al-Nassr. Four of the ten highest earners in the game are currently playing in the Saudi Pro League, underlining their financial power.
Lionel Messi, despite waving goodbye to European football, is still pocketing huge sums whilst at Inter Miami. Kylian Mbappe continues to be handsomely rewarded by PSG and could yet see his pay packet increase even further as he prepares to be the subject of a transfer battle between the Parisians and Real Madrid this summer.
Los Blancos and Barcelona do not have a single player featuring in the top 10, which perhaps underlines the new approaches being taken by both sides as they feel the pinch financially with stadium improvements taking up the bulk of their cash. We take a look at which players finished 2023 on top of the highest earners list.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo $260m (£204.9m)
The Portuguese star certainly had his head turned by the Saudi riches when he left Manchester United, despite playing the 'growing the game' narrative. His move to the Middle East has seen many follow, but as the first big name to head over, he was well rewarded financially.
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Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane are two of the world's highest earners (AFP via Getty Images)Ronaldo has helped Saudi Arabia to promote their sporting events beyond football as the country's chiefs take advantage of his celebrity status. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has also continued to earn a pretty penny with posts on Instagram, advertising the likes of Herbalife.
2. Lionel Messi $135m (£106.4m)
The World Cup winner is the only player on the list to earn more off the pitch than he does on it. Messi mania has hit Florida and David Beckham knew full well how the Argentine would attract new audiences in America after bringing him to Inter Miami, with the MLS as a whole seeing a massive boost.
Lionel Messi is pocketing huge sums off the pitch (Getty Images)Messi admits he moved to a "lesser league" but some smart business decisions are already paying off. The Athletic reported that the contract he signed at Inter Miami will involve the global star receiving shares of Apple and Adidas’ revenue. He's also taken a cut from money made by the likes of Apple TV, who did a documentary on his arrival.
3. Neymar $112m (£88.2m)
His time at PSG saw him well paid but many will argue he never fully achieved what he set out to. It could also be argued he left Europe too early, wasting his talent, but Neymar opted to follow Ronaldo and is now at Al-Hilal, the club that attempted to sign Kylian Mbappe in the summer.
Neymar was one of several big names to head to Saudi Arabia (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)The Brazilian has helped the team rise to the top of the table, justifying their outlay. Neymar also remains active off the pitch and continues to have partnerships with Puma, Konami and Red Bull. More recently, the Brazilian has announced a partnership with Portuguese horse breeding farm Team Campline.
4. Kylian Mbappe $110m (£86.7m)
The highest earner still plying his trade in Europe, PSG have broken the bank to keep the Frenchman in Paris and could continue that come the summer as they fear his exit to the Spanish capital. Mbappe has been given huge signing-on bonuses to remain with PSG.
Kylian Mbappe is Europe's highest earner (Catherine Steenkeste)His power off the field has also increased with the club giving him a say over certain appointments and decisions. Mbappe remains the biggest name in France, which only increased after his World Cup exploits, and that status has allowed him to earn well away from the football arena.
5. Karim Benzema $106m (£83.5m)
It was something of a shock when the forward decided he wanted to leave Real Madrid to head to Saudi Arabia, but he was one of many to have his head turned by the huge sums on offer. Benzema is now turning out for Al-Ittihad, albeit they have not had the success they envisaged with club bosses conceding he hasn't had the desired effect.
Karim Benzema's Real Madrid exit came as a surprise (Getty Images)The Frenchman said back in June on his decision to quit Europe: "It’s where I want to be because it’s important for me to be in a Muslim country, where I feel people (are) already like me. It will allow me to have a new life and I can’t wait to live there.”
6. Erling Haaland $58m (£45.7m)
He won the treble in his first season with Manchester City, breaking numerous goalscoring records and his pay cheque reflects that excellence. Haaland, along with Mbappe, is seen as the hottest commodity in football, but he earns considerably less than the PSG man.
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Erling Haaland's profile continues to rise (PA)City are already prepared to sit down and renegotiate his deal and they look to retain his services long-term. Off the pitch, Haaland's profile is rising and the Norwegian has a lucrative Nike deal and graced the cover of the EA Sports FC 2024 video game this year.
7. Mo Salah $53m (£41.7m)
The Egyptian was the subject of a transfer battle between Liverpool and Saudi Arabia, who were prepared to pay huge sums to land the forward. In the end, he remained at the Reds, who have had to rip up their wage structure to keep the player, but a move to the Middle East could happen in the coming years.
Mohamed Salah has a huge global reach (PETER POWELL/AFP via Getty Images)Salah has a huge global reach as the most high-profile Muslim player and his deal with Adidas is earning him a pretty penny. He's featured in magazines like GQ and Time, which listed him as among the most influential people in the world.
8. Sadio Mane $52m (£40.9m)
Mane quit Bayern Munich and headed to Al-Nassr, where he's teamed up with Ronaldo. He earns about a fifth of his team-mate though, yet that's still enough to make him one of football's top earners. Two years ago Mané also signed a long-term extension with New Balance.
The Senegalese star, who remains an icon in his own country, has never shown a great appetite to earn huge sums. He has become known for his philanthropic work as he pours huge sums into improving the local infrastructure in his homeland.
9. Kevin De Bruyne $39m (£30.7m)
Arguably the Premier League's best performer in recent years, City have paid their Belgian playmaker for his continued brilliance. By no means one of the biggest names off the pitch, nor does he court that attention, the bulk of de Bruyne's earnings come from his basic wages.
Kevin De Bruyne has been one of Man City's main men for years (AFP via Getty Images)In March he landed an endorsement deal with McDonald's, which will raise his profile back in Belgium. Otherwise, his focus is largely on footballing matters with De Bruyne making an instant impact for City on his return from a lengthy injury lay-off against Newcastle last time out.
10. Harry Kane $36m (£28.3m)
He opted to leave his beloved Tottenham in search of honours when he joined Bayern Munich in the summer. Hailed as among the top strikers on the planet, the German club have paid him as one. Kane has signed a four-year deal which will keep him as one of the Bundesliga's top earners.
Off the pitch Kane signed a multi-year partnership with Fanatics, becoming the first British athlete to partner exclusively with the company’s autographs and memorabilia division.