Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had been top of the Forbes highest earner in football list since 2014, but there is now a new leader.
Kylian Mbappe has been named football’s highest earner in the world by Forbes magazine, overtaking Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi and Ronaldo have locked down the top spot since 2014, but Mbappe has overtaken his PSG team-mate and Manchester United star thanks to his new contract with Paris Saint-Germain.
The France international has been linked with a move to Real Madrid since his previous contract in Paris was set to expire at the end of last season, only for him to sensationally agree a three-year extension to stay at his parent club in May.
The Forbes top earners in football rankings also take into account a player’s earnings off the pitch and Mbappe has no shortage of major sponsorship deals, having set up his own production company Zebra Valley in the last year.
Messi and Ronaldo are in second and third place as they continue to cash in on the autumn years of their careers, while PSG’s third player, Neymar, completes the top four.
In addition to Ronaldo, the other three Premier League representatives on the list are Liverpool Mohamed Salah (fifth) and Manchester City duo Erling Haaland (sixth) and Kevin De Bruyne (10th).
Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski (seventh) and Madrid’s Eden Hazard (eighth) are the only two players from LaLiga.
Former Barca star Andres Iniesta is in ninth place despite leaving Europe to play in Japan in 2018.
2022 Forbes highest earners in football top 10 list
1. Kylian Mbappe –
PSG: $128m (£115.2m/€130.9m) 2.
Lionel Messi – PSG: $120m (£108.0m/€122.7m) 3.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Man Utd: $100m (£90.0m/€102.3m)
4. Neymar – PSG: $87m (£78.3m/€88.9m)
5. Mohamed Salah – Liverpool: $53m (£47.7m/€54.2m)
6. Erling Haaland – Man City: $39m (£35.1m/€39.9m)
7. Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona: $35m (£31.5m/€35.8m)
8. Eden Hazard – Real Madrid: $31m (£27.9m/€31.7m)
9. Andres Iniesta – Vissel Kobe: $30m (£27.0m/€30.7m)
10. Kevin De Bruyne – Man City: $29m (£26.1m/€29.7m)