Who Is The Richest Footballer In The World 2026 - Top 10 List
If we were to ask you which are the richest professional footballers in the world in 2025 and 2026, you'd probably mention Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, right? Would you be surprised to discover that's not completely true? While Ronaldo and Lionel Messi continue to dominate the international football scene, by far the richest footballer is actually Faiq Bolkiah. But if you're interested in learning more and you'd like to know which other players apart from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have managed to gather a massive fortune, come check out our top 10 list.
A list of the richest footballers by estimated net worth 2026
Let's now get started with the top 10 list of richest players on the world football scene.
Faiq Bolkiah
The richest footballer on the planet with estimated net worth of 20 billion dollars is Faiq Bolkiah. His money don't come from a real-high salary, though. This enormous wealth is actually due to him being part of the royal family of Brunei. Now, of course, the fact that Faiq Bolkiah tops the list because he happens to be a son of the Prince of Brunei, Jefri Bolkiah, and a nepfew of the sultan of Brunei doesn't make him any less of a top-tier player. Having started at Chelsea and Leicester City, with some time with the jersey of Southampton under his belt, too, currently he's playing in Asia.
Cristiano Ronaldo (CR7)
It's no wonder that Cristiano Ronaldo comes next. He's still one of the best players in the world and he's the best paid one, too. He's getting 230 million dollars per year from his contract with Al Hassr while he's also got other income sources, such as the cash flow from his off-field sponsorship contracts and the whole CR7 empire. His networth is estimated at 1.4 billion dollars and he's also got the most followers on social media (you can confirm that yourself just by checking the number of his Instagram followers).
Lionel Messi
With estimated networth between 650 million to 850 million dollars, Lionel Messi's getting the third sport in todays top list. His money come from his famous football career, his achievements within the business world and the various endorsement deals he's made with Adidas, Mastercard and many other brands. Most popular for his stints in Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, he's now dominating the Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.
David Beckham
Even though Beckham retired from professional football over a decade ago, he still remains not only one of the greatest footballers of all time but also one of the richest, too. His net worth is estimated at 450 million dollars and part of it comes from his part ownership in Inter Miami.
Neymar Jr
Neymar Jr is also one of the richest players on the planet and he's been one of the most well-paid footballers in PSG and Al-Hilal. He's also got a top-tier brand and has made many investments. Of course, just like with many of the other of the richest players, part of his networth comes from endorsement deals. In particular Neymar Jr has such with the Qatar Airways, Puma and many other world-famous brands.
Wayne Rooney
With estimated net worth of 220 million dollars, Wayne Roonie's also one of the top players. That's both in terms of net worth and of successes achieved throughout its football career. Most of his money come from his salaries from Manchester United but he's also gotten a lot as a coach and through his endorsement contracts.
Dave Whelan
Even though Dave Whelan couldn't be called one of the richest football players in the world while he was still playing, he's managed to ammass quite a fortune after retiring. His networth today is worth 210 million dollars and he's managed to get so rich thanks to the JBB Sports deal and the ownership over Wigan Athletic.
Karim Benzema
Another of the best players of all time, Karim Benzema, has managed to gain quite a huge net worth after he moved to play in Saudi Arabia. He's getting more than 100 million dollars per year and his net worth's currently estimated at 200 million.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has also gotten to a huge financial success. He's famous not only for his beautiful game but also with the sportswear brands he's developed and his autobiography. Of course, he's got many endorsement deals and all of those cash flows have managed to get him to a net worth of 190 million dollars.
Kylian Mbappe
The youngest player on our list is Kylian Mbappé who's just 26 years old but he's got wealth of 180 million dollars. It's not surprising, though, considering he's got some massive contracts and had signed deals with EA Sports, Nike and many other brands.
Best achievements of the top 10 richest footballers in the world
Of course, the richest footballers aren't only famous for their fortune. Players like Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the football field and continue to do so. Let's see what are just some of their top achievements.
Premier League titles
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 3 times champion of Premier League with Man United. |
| David Beckham | 6x English champion with Man United. |
| Wayne Rooney | 5x English champion with Man United. |
Champions League titles
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 5x winner of the Champions League; once with Man United and four times with Real Madrid. |
| Lionel Messi | 4x winner of the Champions League; all with Barcelona. |
| David Beckham | 1x Champions League winner with Man United in the 98/99 season. |
| Neymar Jr | 1x Champions League winner with Barcelona. |
| Wayne Rooney | 1x Champions League winner with Man United. |
| Karim Benzema | 5x Champions League winner with Real Madrid |
FIFA Club World Cup Finals
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 4x FIFA Club World Cup winner; once with Man United and 3x with Real Madrid. |
| Lionel Messi | 3x FIFA Club World Cup winner; all with Barcelona |
| Neymar Jr | 1x FIFA Club World Cup winner with Barcelona in 2016. |
| Wayne Rooney | 1x FIFA Club World Cup winner with Man United in 2009. |
| Karim Benzema | 5x FIFA Club World Cup winner with Real Madrid. |
| Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 1x FIFA Club World Cup winner with Barcelona. |
Ballon D'Or trophies
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 5x winner of Ballon D'Or (2008; 2013; 2014; 2016 and 2017) |
| Lionel Messi | 8x winner of Ballon D'Or (2009; 2010; 2011; 2012; 2015; 2019; 2021; 2023) |
| Karim Benzema | 1x winner of Ballon D'Or (2022) |
European and World Cups
| Cristiano Ronalso | 1x European champion in 2016 with Portugal |
| Lionel Messi | 1x winner of World Cup in 2022 with Argentina |
| Kylian Mbappe | 1x World Cup winner in 2018 with France |
Where are the richest football players currently playing?
| Footballer | Current team |
| Faiq Bolkiah | Ratchaburi FC |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Al-Nassr FC |
| Lionel Messi | Inter Miami CF |
| David Beckham | retired |
| Neymar Jr | Santos FC |
| Wayne Rooney | retired |
| Dave Whelan | retired |
| Karim Benzema | Al-Ittihad Club |
| Zlatan Ibrahimovic | retired |
| Kylian Mbappe | Real Madrid |
Conclusion
Yes, some of the names on this list are quite to be expected. Other are much more surprising, right? One thing's to be said about the world of football nowadays, though. The legends still dominate the stage, they still top the lists but new stars are rising on the horizon with names like Kylian Mbappe who's got quite the potential to rival the most famous footballers of all times. What's next... we'll see but it's sure going to be thrilling to follow.
