Ever wondered who might be the highest paid footballer on the planet? Or why footballers are paid huge wages?
Footballers are a highly sought after bunch with both the fans and the corporate bigwigs alike, for such is their pulling power and influence among the fans of the game. The global sport that football is, the best players are followed with much fanfare all over the world.
With an estimated 250 million worldwide viewership, there is huge money in the game and the best in the business are paid the best wages. Top clubs in the world like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United are all uber-rich and will pay any amount necessary to land the best players in the game. Not to mention the lucrative endorsement deals the highest paid footballers receive.
Trending
6 figure weekly wages & multi-million dollar sponsorship deals are common for the highest paid footballers who also roll in money from image rights, personal branding and what not.
Obviously, stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will be right up there on the list of highest-paid footballers in the world. Their image is also buoyed by the big clubs they are playing for unlike some players like Asamoah Gyan or Ezequiel Lavezzi, who earn big money but hold very less endorsement value.
Let’s take a look at the highest paid footballers after taking into account their salary, bonuses and earnings from endorsements (as per Forbes magazine):
20) Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri’s move to Manchester City from Arsenal in 2011 was much maligned and widely followed. Though he has sparkled in bits at the Etihad, his career has slumped off late. But having signed a contract extension in 2014, his paycheck will be huge.
Samir Nasri’s earnings total up to $15 million, with $14 million of those courtesy of his salary and winnings.
He earns $1 million from his endorsement deals with Adidas and New Balance.
19) David Silva
The diminutive playmaker from Spain is Manchester City’s creative force. David Silva is on a bumper contract at City which will see him continue at the Etihad till 2019, when he will turn 33. His total earnings sum up to an estimated $17 million and his fat paycheck and bonuses at City constitute $15 million of those.
Adidas is his major sponsor and Silva’s off-field engagements land him about $2 million.
18) Robin van Persie
In his peak, one of the most technical strikers one could ever see, Robin van Persie was a class act. Having won the 2012-13 EPL title single-handedly and scored 58 goals over 3 seasons for Manchester United, he was shipped off to Fenerbahce where he remains the club’s top scorer.
His total earnings amount to $17 million, of which $15 million is his salary and winnings.
He bags $2 million from his endorsements deals, with Adidas and BT Sport being the major ones.
17) Angel Di Maria
The Argentine winger, one of the fulcrums in Real Madrid’s La Decima win in 2014, has since played for Manchester United and then PSG, after his relations with then Manchester United manager, Louis van Gaal, soured in his first season at Old Trafford.
Regardless, he remains one of the best players in the world and commands total earnings of about $18 million, of which his salary and bonuses at PSG amount to $16 million.
Di Maria is also sponsored by Adidas and collects $2 million from his off-field deals.
16) Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger is a household name among football fans, having captained Germany to the 2014 FIFA World Cup triumph and winning the man of the match award in the final to boot. Following which, he made a much-publicised move to Manchester United from Bayern Munich.
Though his first season was marred by injury and has seen himself frozen out of the first-team by Jose Mourinho currently, his bumper contract and off-field earnings total up to about $18 million. His salary and winnings amount to $16 million of it.
He nets $2 million from his endorsement deals with global giants like Adidas, Beats by Dre etc.
15) Mesut Ozil
Arsenal’s creative engine, Mesut Ozil, is generally considered one of the best in his position and likewise earns a pretty good salary. He is also an integral part of the German national team and won the FIFA World Cup in 2014.
His earnings total up to an estimated $18 million, of which his Arsenal paycheck and winnings constitute $12 million.
He has a major endorsement deal with Adidas which forms a big part of $6 million he collects from his off-field engagements.
14) Thiago Silva
The Paris St Germain centre-back is considered one of the best in the world and that is why he was acquired from AC Milan and given a huge contract by the Parisiens.
He is the sole defender among the top 20 highest paid footballers in the world, with earnings totaling about $18 million. His salary and bonuses alone constitute $16 million of earnings.
The 32-year-old’s major sponsors are Nike and automobile giants Nissan. He bags a cool $2 million from his endorsement deals.
13) Radamel Falcao
In his prime, Falcao was one of the most feared strikers in the world at Atletico Madrid before he joined Monaco in a big money move. Though he suffered an injury, he made high profile (and high money) loan moves to Manchester United and then Chelsea but failed to reignite his career.
He moved back to Monaco but his lucrative contracts meant that his earnings totaled up to $19 million, of which a lion’s share is from his salary and winnings ($17 million).
El Tigre has a major endorsement deal with Puma in addition to several other firms which nets him $2 million.
12) Yaya Toure
Manchester City’s marauding Ivorian has been one of the driving forces in the club’s rise to prominence in England. Having played a major part in City’s title winning campaigns in 2011-12 and 2013-14, Yaya is one of the highest earners at the Etihad.
Though he is currently facing a dilemma as to whether to leave the club or accept an inferior contract, the 33-year-old has earnings of about $20 million. His salary and winnings amount to $17 million of it.
In addition, his sponsorship deals with the likes of Nissan and Puma gets him a further $3 million.
11) James Rodriguez
James Rodriguez, the golden boot winner at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, was one of Real Madrid’s prized possessions in 2014 when he was acquired from Monaco in a big money move.
Though the Colombian’s career has stalled a bit recently, there is no denying the quality he possesses.
He still remains one of the stars in world football and has age on his side. James has an estimated earnings of about $21 million of which $14 million is courtesy of his bumper contract at Madrid.
But he is a highly marketable footballer, as seen from his mega-million deals with Adidas, Hugo Boss, Pepsi etc. He also sponsors energy drink brand ‘10 Gold’ and is a prominent face of their social media campaign. All of this makes his wallet fatter by about $7 million.
10) Cesc Fabregas
The 29-year-old Chelsea star is one of the best creative midfielders in the game and has won numerous trophies during his time at Barcelona and now Chelsea.
Fabregas is undoubtedly a big name in football and earns around $21 million in total. His salary earnings and bonuses amount to $16 million.
Fabregas, a household name among fans, has sponsorship deals with major firms like Puma, Beats by Dre etc which adds around $5 million to his coffers.
9) Eden Hazard
2014-15 PFA Player of the Year Eden Hazard was held in high regard which was reserved for the elite footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi and the like by most football aficionados, before his worrying drop in form last season.
But he returned to top form at the recently held Euros and looks back to his best. The Chelsea talisman earns about $22 million of which $18 million constitutes his salary and winnings.
Hazard also has endorsement deals with Nike, Topps and Lotus Bakeries plus a lucrative deal with China’s Sina Sports. All of which amounts to $4 million.
8) Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez is often known for his controversial off-field antics which got him bans for racial abuses and biting among other things. But there is no questioning the fact that 'El Pistolero' is one of the best, if not the best, striker in football.
A consummate team player, Suarez has played a major role in Barcelona winning a historic treble in 2015. Suarez's earnings total to a whopping $23 million, of which $18 million comes from his salary and bonuses which are on a pay-per-goal basis.
He is also sponsored by Adidas, Pepsi and Aditab etc which also nets him a sum of $5 million.
7) Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero is one of Manchester City’s prized possessions. Kun, as he is affectionately known, is considered as one of the best strikers in the world right now.
He earns a considerable wage at the Etihad and his total earnings are estimated at $24 million. His winnings and salary alone amount to $17 million of that.
Aguero heavily features in ads for sportswear giant Puma and has also inked deals with Pepsi, EA Sports among others. His earnings from endorsements amount to about $7 million.
6) Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney has been synonymous with the name of Manchester United for over a decade now and the Englishman is still going strong. His trophy cabinet is one to be envied and is the highest earner at Old Trafford.
Rooney’s earnings total to $26 million of which his salary and winnings constitute about $20 million.
Being a star at Manchester United, Rooney has a huge following especially among the fans of Red Devils. He has major sponsorship deals with firms like Nike and Harper Collins.
5) Gareth Bale
The Welshman was the most expensive footballer when Real Madrid signed him from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. Though Paul Pogba has now snatched the title from him, Bale’s performances for Real Madrid plus the 2 Champions League trophies he won in the last 3 years has boosted his place up in this list.
His earnings sum up to $34 million of which his salary and winnings constitute $24 million.
Some of his major sponsors are Adidas, Sony Xperia and BT Sport. He also had inked a deal with Ziptel to share their app with his 42 million followers on social media. Bale’s endorsements are valued at $10 million.
4) Neymar
The poster boy of Brazilian football is a highly recognised face in football. Be it the typical samba-style flair he brings to his game or the rockstar persona off the field, Neymar Jr invariably turns the eyeballs towards him. The Barcelona winger is one of the most coveted attackers on the planet and earns about $36 million.
Interestingly, the 2015 Ballon d’Or finalist pulls in more from his endorsements than from his footballing wages. His salary and bonuses amount to $14 million, which is only just about more than 1/3rd of his total earnings.
His major sponsorship deals with Nike, Rexona, Clear, Panasonic etc land him a cool $22 million, which resonates with his rating as one of, if not, the most marketable footballer in the world.
3) Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Manchester United’s new talisman was bound to be placed high on this list. For he is a man who knows how to sell his footballing skills as well as his personality and attitude. A well-travelled footballer and having played for some of the biggest clubs in business, Zlatan’s earnings amount to $37 million.
His remunerations for his footballing skills alone count up to $30 million.
Having signed lucrative deals with global giants like Nike, Volvo, Vitamin Well etc in addition to owning his own range of sportswear named ‘A-Z’, the Swede pulls in about $7 million in endorsements.
2) Lionel Messi
The Barcelona ace only misses out on becoming the highest paid footballer by a whisker. Messi is adored all over the world and is seen by many as the greatest footballer of this generation. 5 Ballon d’Ors and years of phenomenal success with Barcelona tell the story.
His earnings sum up to an eye-popping $77 million of which $51 million is his salary and bonuses from football.
Though he is not as outspoken as some of his rivals, Messi commands huge pulling power. He has inked major deals with Adidas, Gatorade, Lays and EA Sports etc that mirrors his popularity and value.
He was recently seen in an ad for Turkish Airlines with Kobe Bryant which was selected as YouTube’s ‘Ad of the Decade’. His endorsement deals are worth around $26 million.
1) Cristiano Ronaldo
The highest paid footballer on the planet is none other than Cristiano Ronaldo. The 3-time Ballon d’Or winner is the perfect example of on-field and off-field superiority among footballers.
The Real Madrid talisman has just won the Euro with Portugal and commands a fanatical following from fans. His earnings amount to a whopping $82 million of which his salary and bonuses constitute $53 million.
He also has a variety of endorsement deals with huge brands like Nike, Tag Heuer, Clear, Pestana Hotel Groups etc. He has also recently signed a mega-million dollar 6-year image rights deal with billionaire Peter Lim’s company Capital which owns brands like Turk Telecom, XTrade etc. His endorsements fetch him a neat sum of $29 million.
