The richest footballers in the world are mostly exceptionally talented players who earned their honors on the field of play, before translating their abilities to their finances. Football pays good money; and very good players earn very good money.
Football clubs are willing to pay outrageous amounts to lure outstanding players, not just for the feats they perform on the field, but for the attention they draw to the clubs.
Brands and companies are also willing to pay huge sums in endorsement deals to have these stars promote their products and services.
Top 100 Richest Footballers In The World
1. Matthew Flamini
Net worth: $12 Billion
Matthew Flamini is best known for his days at Arsenal football club of England. As a midfielder he was graceful in his ball distribution skills, which is why he went on to play for AC Milan, and then Arsenal again, before Crystal Palace and Getafe.
Yes, he won accolades and made good money; but his biggest move was outside football. He went on to invest in a scientific startup GFBiochemicals.
The company has since gone on to grow astronomically; and this has made Matthew Flamini (who some would call average) the world’s first football billionaire.
2. David Beckham
Net worth: $650 Million
David Beckham was good; he was legendary for his freekicks and corners. Notable among the clubs he played for were Manchester United and Real Madrid; and his accolades include several Premier League titles, as well as a Champions League, and many individual honors.
In truth; David Beckham became larger than life- he became more popular than even those who exceeded him in talent.
He got so many endorsement deals that he didn’t even know what to do with the money, and yet the media continued to shower him with more attention. These days he does humanitarian work with UNICEF; he has already made too much money.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo
Net worth: $500 Million
From someone who owes his fame and fortune to the grace of the media and the universe we move our attention to someone who deserves it. Cristiano Ronaldo is an utter force of nature; he thoroughly deserves all his glory.
He has played for teams like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, and he has never left without winning some laurels. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most decorated footballers the world has ever seen, and he has broken records for goal-scoring that people never thought possible.
The endorsement deals are too many to count; and while the figure given as his net worth is $500 Million; it could well be more than that.
4. Lionel Messi
Net worth: $400 Million
Lionel Messi has been called the god of football and for a reason. He is absolutely phenomenal; lightening quick, impossibly skillful, and with an eye for goal. He is the person to make a difference in a difficult game, and he can single handedly win the trophies for his team.
Lionel Messi is a team player; his fellow players and coaches love him just as much as the fans do, which is why he has enjoyed such career longevity.
He has won everything a player can ever aspire to win; and he has made so much money from endorsements. He is probably the best player the world has ever seen.
5. Dave Whelan
Net worth: $210 Million
Dave Whelan is one of the richest footballers in the world; he played for Blackburn Rovers and Crewe Alexandria; both in his native England. He didn’t stand out much as a footballer, but after his playing career, he became a force in business.
Some of his business interests include: Million Whelan Discount Stores, JJB Sports, DW Sports Fitness, Wigan Athletic F.C., Wigan Warriors, and Orrell Rugby Union Club.
6. Kylian Mbappe
Net Worth: $200 Million
Kylian Mbappe is young but he is exceptionally gifted. He has already won gold and silver medals at the FIFA World Cup; and has already broken a few records, including scoring a hat trick at World Cup Finals.
The Frenchman has become the hottest article in football; which is why he earns outrageous wages for his talents. He also makes a lot of money from endorsements.
7. Neymar da Silva Santos Junior
Net Worth: $185 Million
Neymar flies to training in a helicopter- that’s how rich he is. Even if he never wins a champions league trophy or a World Cup; it does not take anything away from the fact that he is one of the most gifted footballers in his generation.
If he had not been born in the same era as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, he would have been worshiped as a god.
He has earned outrageous amounts on the field, and has made even more through endorsements.
8. Wayne Rooney
Net Worth: $160 Million
Wayne Rooney was a Phenomenon; he had two things in abundance- power and technique. But he did not stay at that phenomenon for very long, which is why some argue that he never fulfilled his potential.
He did fulfill his financial potential however; he is worth around $160 Million; which is not too far behind Neymar Jr; who is largely agreed to be one of the best players of his generation.
9. Alexandre Pato
Net worth: $145 Million
Alexandre Pato is a Brazilian former Wonderkid who was billed to achieve great success. He played his best football at AC Milan; helping the Italian giants win the Serie A title and the Supercopa Italiana.
Alexandre then started having injury problems which saw him move back to Brazil, and then to England, and Spain.
Probably convinced that he could no longer achieve legendary status, he turned his eyes to money. He made big money moves to China and the United States; and that he is how h became so rich.
10. Francesco Totti
Net worth: $101.6 Million
Francesco Totti is a guy who was once known as the Golden Boy of Italian Football. As a forward he was impactful; and scored goals with precision. But Francesco Totti is a lot more than that; he is a fine leader of men, and an inspirational character.
He devoted his life to AS Roma; he spent his career at the club; featuring about 786 times, and scoring 307 times for the club. He helped them win a Serie A title, two Coppa Italia trophies, and two Supercopa Italiana trophies. He also helped Italy win the World Cup in 2006. He was a great servant to the club and country.
And he was rewarded for it; when he won the 2007-2008 Coppa Di Italia, the trophy was presented to him by the president of Italy- Giorgio Napolitano.
The following is a more extensive compilation of the richest footballers in the world; their fortune; and their nationalities.
| Position | Player | Nationality | Net Worth |
| 1 | Matthew Flamini | French | $12 Billion |
| 2 | David Beckham | United kingdom | $670 Million |
| 3 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portuguese | $500 Million |
| 4 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | $400 Million |
| 5 | Dave Whelan | United kingdom | $210 Million |
| 6 | Neymar da Silva Santos Junior | Brazil | $185 Million |
| 7 | Wayne Rooney | United kingdom | $160 Million |
| 8 | Alexandre Pato | Brazil | $145 Million |
| 9 | Francesco Totti | Italy | $101.6 Million |
| 10 | Jose Mourinho | Portuguese | $100 Million |
| 11 | Philipp Lahm | Germany | $100 Million |
| 12 | Eden Hazard | Belgium | $100 Million |
| 13 | Kaka | Brazil | $100 Million |
| 14 | Samuel Eto | Cameroon | $95 Million |
| 15 | Gareth Bale | Wales | $90 Million |
| 16 | Didier Drogba | Ivory Coast | $90 Million |
| 17 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Sweden | $90 Million |
| 18 | Ronaldinho | Brazil | $90 Million |
| 19 | Andres Iniesta | Spain | $86 Million |
| 20 | Sergio Ramos | Spain | $80 Million |
| 21 | Arjen Robben | Netherlands | $80 Million |
| 22 | Willian | Brazil | $75 Million |
| 23 | Rio Ferdinand | United kingdom | $75 Million |
| 24 | Rivaldo Vitor | Brazil | $74 Million |
| 25 | Sergio Aguero | Argentina | $70 Million |
| 26 | Luis Suarez | Uruguay | $70 Million |
| 27 | Zinedine Zidane | France | $70 Million |
| 28 | Radamel Falcao | Colombia | $70 Million |
| 29 | Yaya Toure | Ivory Coast | $70 Million |
| 30 | Juan Mata | Spain | $63.4 Million |
| 31 | David Luiz | Brazil | $62 Million |
| 32 | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | Netherlands | $60.3 Million |
| 33 | Andy Carroll | United kingdom | $60 Million |
| 34 | Ryan Giggs | United kingdom | $60 Million |
| 35 | Fernando Torres | Spain | $60 Million |
| 36 | Steven Gerrard | United kingdom | $60 Million |
| 37 | Thierry Henry | France | $60 Million |
| 38 | Franck Ribery | France | $60 Million |
| 39 | Clarence Seedorf | Netherlands | $56.2 Million |
| 40 | David Silva | Spain | $55 Million |
| 41 | Sol Campbell | United kingdom | $55 Million |
| 42 | Robbie Keane | Ireland | $55 Million |
| 43 | Alan Shearer | United kingdom | $52.5 Million |
| 44 | Raúl González Blanco | Spain | $51.7 Million |
| 45 | Andrea Pirlo | Italy | $50 Million |
| 46 | David Villa | Spain | $50 Million |
| 47 | Luis Figo | Portuguese | $50 Million |
| 48 | Mesut Ozil | Germany | $50 Million |
| 49 | Michael Owen | United kingdom | $50 Million |
| 50 | John Terry | United kingdom | $50 Million |
| 51 | Esteban Cambiasso | Argentina | $49.2 Million |
| 52 | Lassana Diarra | France | $48.8 Million |
| 53 | Robbie Fowler | United kingdom | $46.5 Million |
| 54 | Frank Lampard | United Kingdom | $45 Million |
| 55 | Joe Cole | United kingdom | $45 Million |
| 56 | Fabio Cannavaro | Italy | $45 Million |
| 57 | Robinho | Brazil | $45 Million |
| 58 | Luke Shaw | United kingdom | $44.5 Million |
| 59 | Roy Keane | Ireland | $44 Million |
| 60 | Javi Martínez | Spain | $42.4 Million |
| 61 | Karim Benzema | France | $40 Million |
| 62 | Ricardo Quaresma | Portugal | $40 Million |
| 63 | Gerard Pique | Spain | $40 Million |
| 64 | Edinson Cavani | Uruguay | $40 Million |
| 65 | Javier Mascherano | Argentina | $40 Million |
| 66 | Pablo Aimar | Argentina | $37.2 Million |
| 67 | Petr Cech | Croatia | $36 Million |
| 68 | Gary Lineker | United kingdom | $35 Million |
| 69 | Mario Gotze | Germany | $35 Million |
| 70 | Mario Balotelli | Italy | $35 Million |
| 71 | Peter Crouch | United kingdom | $35 Million |
| 72 | Michael Essien | Ghana | $35 Million |
| 73 | Djibril Cisse | France | $35 Million |
| 74 | Marco Di Vaio | Italy | $34.8 Million |
| 75 | José Antonio Reyes | Spain | $33.6 Million |
| 76 | Lucas Moura | Brazil | $33 Million |
| 77 | Patrick Vieira | France | $33 Million |
| 78 | Roy Makaay | Netherlands | $32.6 Million |
| 79 | Henrikh Mkhitaryan | Armenia | $32 Million |
| 80 | Diego Milito | Argentina | $31.2 Million |
| 81 | Rafa Benitez | Spain | $30 Million |
| 82 | Raul Meireles | Portuguese | $30 Million |
| 83 | Joe Hart | United kingdom | $30 Million |
| 84 | Dani Alves | Brazil | $30 Million |
| 85 | James Rodríguez | Colombia | $30 Million |
| 86 | Damien Duff | Ireland | $30 Million |
| 87 | Tiago Mendes | Portuguese | $30 Million |
| 88 | Martin Palermo | Argentina | $30 Million |
| 89 | Hidetoshi Nakata | Japan | $28 Million |
| 90 | Nemanja Matic | Serbia | $27 Million |
| 91 | Paul Scholes | United kingdom | $27 Million |
| 92 | Deco | Portuguese | $25 Million |
| 93 | Emmanuel Adebayor | Togo | $25 Million |
| 94 | Michael Ballack | Germany | $25 Million |
| 95 | Craig Bellamy | United kingdom | $25 Million |
| 96 | Daniele De Rossi | Italy | $25 Million |
| 97 | Fernando Gago | Argentina | $24.1 Million |
| 98 | David Moyes | United kingdom | $24 Million |
| 99 | Thiago Alcântara | Spain | $23.9 Million |
| 100 | Edin Dzeko | Bosnian and Herzegovinian | $23 Million |
Related:
- Top 100 Richest Celebrities In The World
- Top 100 Richest Sportsmen In The World
- Top 100 Richest Actors In The World
Closing
The list of the richest footballers in the world may soon change significantly because football clubs are now more desperate than ever to sign the best available talent, and they spend ridiculous amounts to get them. Already, there are some young names being touted as generational talents, and it is exciting to see how much they can make.