In the news file prepared by AA on the prominent issues of 2025 in sports, the highest-earning football players of the year were discussed.
According to Forbes’ list, 4 names from Spain, 3 from Saudi Arabia, 2 from England and one from the USA were among the 10 highest-earning football players of 2025.
– Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)
Ronaldo earned more than double the earnings of his closest rival on the list, Lionel Messi, in 2025.
Continuing to grow his brand CR7, 40-year-old Ronaldo has surpassed one billion followers across all social media platforms.
Ronaldo, whose off-field income increased to $50 million annually with his ventures in the hotel and clothing fields, earned $230 million from Al Nassr for one year.
– Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
Argentinian star Messi ranked second on the list with his income of $130 million in 2025.
Messi, who earned $70 million thanks to his partnerships with different brands, is the leader in off-field income.
38-year-old Messi, who has more than 500 million followers on Instagram and his own companies, received an annual salary of $60 million from the US team Inter Miami, for which he plays.
– Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad)
French Karim Benzema ranked third in the list of the highest-paid football players of 2025.
Benzema became one of the stars who decided to continue his career in Saudi Arabia for an astronomical sum in 2023.
38-year-old Benzema, who received a salary of 100 million dollars from Al Ittihad, increased his earnings to 104 million dollars with his off-field income.
– Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid’s French star Kylian Mbappe ranked 4th on the list with his annual earnings.
The earnings of the 27-year-old football player, who received 25 million dollars thanks to brand partnerships, increased to 95 million dollars when the 70 million he earned from football was added.
On the other hand, the French football player, who won the lawsuit he filed against his former team Paris Saint-Germain, is expected to receive 61 million euros in compensation for unpaid salaries and bonuses.
-Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Norwegian star Erling Haaland became the 5th highest-earning football player of the year with the income he earned on and off the field.
The 25-year-old player, who grows his sponsorship agreements with each passing year, carried his success on the green fields off the field.
Haaland, who received 60 million dollars from Manchester City, reached 80 million dollars in 2025 with an income of 20 million from off the field.
– Top 10
The top 10 highest-earning names in the football world in 2025 are as follows:
| Footballer | Set | Earnings (million dollars) | |
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Al Nassr | 280 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | InterMiami | 130 |
| 3 | Karim Benzema | Al Ittihad | 104 |
| 4 | Kylian Mbappe | real Madrid | 95 |
| 5 | Erling Haaland | Manchester City | 80 |
| 6 | Vinicius Junior | real Madrid | 60 |
| 7 | Mohammed Salah | Liverpool | 55 |
| 8 | Sadio Mane | Al Nassr | 54 |
| 9 | Jude Bellingham | real Madrid | 44 |
| 10 | Laminated Yamal | barcelona | 43 |