Football is the most-watched sport all around the world. The high intensity and the quick pace of the game make it a favourite for many. It is especially popular in South America. In Brazil, they play the game because it brings joy to them and brings communities together. In Europe, Football is often the subject of bar fights among rival supporters, often referred to as football hooligans. Wherever Football is watched, it has a fanbase that religiously follows it.
As it is such a popular sport it also makes it a lucrative business for many sponsors. There’s a lot of money involved in the game. So you must be wondering who is the highest earner in Football? So, here is a list of top 10 footballers that are paid the highest by their respective Clubs;
10. Robert Lewandowski ($1.85 Mill/month)
Robert Lewandowksi is the Polish national team captain and the striker for Bayern Munich. He is one of the best strikers in recent times and he scored the highest number of goals in 2020. He has been named Polish player of the year for a record 8 times. He also holds the record for fastest 5 goals for a substitute in 9 minutes.
9. David de Gea ($1.96 Mill/month)
David de Gea is the only player from the Premier League to make this list and it’s not hard to see why. Considered to be one of the best Goalkeepers that has ever played in the premier league, the Spaniard single-handedly won matches for Manchester United for the past few seasons even when he had a shaky defense in front of him. He also host the record for highest number of saves in a Premier league match with 14.
8. Kylian Mbappe ($2.07 Mill/month)
The youngest player on this list , the 21 year old world cup winner already holds a number of records to his name.He is the main man for French giants Paris Saint-Germain. The French forward has already scored over 100 goals for club and country. He is also regarded as the future of Ballon d’Or award after both Messi and Ronaldo retire from football.
7. Eden Hazard ($2.7 Mill/month)
The Belgian completed his dream move from Chelsea to Real Madrid in 2019 for a reported $113 million, it also came with a massive payday of around $ 33 million per annum. This 29 year old left winger can also play as a centre forward or attacking midfielder. He is widely considered to be one of the best dribblers in the world
6. Gareth Bale ($2.7 Mill/month )
It’s funny to see that Bale, who is often out of favour with both the Real Madrid supporters and Board , is the highest earner from the club. Bale started his career as a left Back but was so impressive while attacking that he was eventually given a chance as a winger and that’s where he has played since then.
5. Luis Suarez ($3.26 Mill/month)
The Uruguayan well known for his ‘biting’ controversy has consistently been one of the best strikers in the world. The forward won the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona in his debut season and continued to impress striking an amazing partnership with Leo Messi , so it is easy to see why the club pays him so much.
4. Antoine Griezmann ($3.26 Mill/month )
The French World cup winner secured a $116 million dollar move to FC Barcelona from Atletico Madrid , where he spent 5 years and became their top scorer for all time. Even though he hasn’t shown the same form at FC Barcelona , there are glimpses of the quality he possesses that shows why he is worth $3.26 million per month.
3. Neymar ($3.3 Mill/month )
At one point in his career Neymar was considered to be the 3rd best player after Ronaldo and Messi, which was why PSG paid a whopping $263 million for him , with the Club change Neymar was also given a massive contract worth $350 million for 5 years. Even though his time at Paris is cursed with injuries , he’s been world class whenever he’s played for the club.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo ($4.9 Mill/month)
At 35 Ronaldo is the oldest player to be featured on this list. Even at this age he shows no signs of slowing down. After his move from Real Madrid to Juventus in 2018, he was contracted to receive $130 million over the time period for 4 years. The Portuguese Poacher is one of the best players ever with 5 Ballon D’ Ors to his name. He still is one of the best strikers topping the Serie A Goal charts regularly.
1. Lionel Messi ($9 Mill/month)
It’s not a big surprise that Lionel Messi, widely considered the greatest player of all time is the highest paid player in the world. The six time Ballon D’Or winner has been at Barcelona for all his senior career, as a reward for that the club has given him such a lucrative deal. The Argentine star has yet to renew his contract with the club, but if he does it will just extend his lead at the top of the list.
Faiq Jefri Bolkiah ($4000/month )
Even though he doesn’t earn as much as the others on this list,He is the richest Footballer. He plays for Leicester City’s reserve side and is the captain of the Brunei national team. He is the Prince of Brunei and his net worth is said to be around $20 billion.
