The World’s Top Soccer Earners
As the most popular sport in the world today, soccer is worth billions of dollars. For instance, European soccer, which is recognised as the highest level of world soccer, is worth an estimated $28 billion itself!
Because soccer is such a lucrative and popular sport, professional players earn huge amounts of money for their services, with the highest earners making tens of millions in salaries alone. Throw sponsor deals and other endorsements and the top earners are coming away with even more money! Fashion brands, big sports betting companies, and even food companies like Pepsi offer these stars millions in sponsorship deals.
So how much do the world’s top soccer earners make? Let’s take a closer look!
Two Players Battling for Top Earner
There are currently two players that earn significantly more than the rest of the top earners, with Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo earning $110 million and $107 million respectively.This is much more than the closest earners which shouldn’t be too surprising given that both have been considered the two best players in the world for the past decade.
The Third Highest Earner – Soon to be the First?
Neymar Jr., the 3rd highest paid player, earns $89 million annually and is the likeliest successor to become the highest paid player in the future. This is because he plays for PSG, one of the wealthiest club’s in the world today, not to mention being a several years younger than Ronaldo and Messi, having recently turned 27.
Given he probably has more playing time left at the highest level than the current top two earners, it’s easy to see him taking the top earner spot sooner than later.
The Unique Position of 4th Highest Paid Player
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale is the fourth highest paid player in the world today earning over $34 million annually. This is a strange position in the highest paid soccer earners in the world because it’s significantly lower than the top three earners but a fair amount more than those lower on the list.
For instance, 5th highest paid player Paul Pogba earns $5 million less ($29 million per year) while the 6th highest paid player Oscar earns $7 million less ($27 million per year).
Only a Few Defenders are Among the Top the Soccer Earners
Attacking soccer players almost always earn more than their defensive counterparts, despite how important defending is in a game of soccer. There are only two defenders in the top 20 highest paid soccer players in the world, with Thiago Silva of PSG ($22 million) and Barcelona’s Gerard Pique ($20 million) showcasing their value as defenders.
Source: https://www.findbettingsites.co.uk/soccer-earnings/
