Both football GOATs have been relegated as the highest paid in the world of football in the money league. But number 6 will surprise you.
Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe is the latest king of the money league in football.
Mbappe has been crowned as the highest-paid football player in the world in 2022 above teammate Lionel Messi and his Manchester United rival, Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Frenchman, who recently signed a ridiculous new deal worth £500m, earned a whopping £108.3 million in 2022 to top the list, according to the Sun.
Mbappe, 23, snubbed a move to Champions League winners Real Madrid this summer to sign a new contract with French champions PSG.
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That contract, which sees him earn a whopping £91m a year, and runs until the summer of 2025 has helped him become the highest-paid footballer on earth.
The World Cup winner also made £17.3 million from endorsements with some of the biggest brands.
Ronaldo, Messi relegated in the money league
Meanwhile, in the first signal of a change of guard, Ronaldo and Messi aren’t the highest-paid footballers anymore.
While they may not be top of the log, both legends of the game have been relegated to second and third respectively in the world.
Ronaldo is the second highest paid player on the list with a total of £97.9 million made in 2022.
£52 million of that sum came from endorsements, with the majority of his income said to be from brands like Nike, Herbalife, and Tau Heuer.
Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi, came in at third position with a total of £95.3 million in annual revenue. Like his rival Ronaldo, most of Messi’s income comes from endorsements and sponsorships.
Mo Salah – the only African on the list
The only African representative in the money league is Liverpool and Egypt super forward, Mohamed Salah.
Salah finds himself inside the top five (5) with a total of £34.2 million made in 2022.
While that is well off the mark compared to the top four (4) of Mbappe, Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar, it’s good to see an African on the list.
Salah put pen to a new deal in the summer which sees him double his wages at Liverpool after coming close to leaving Anfield.
The Top 10 Highest Paid Footballers in 2022
1. Kylian Mbappe – £108.3m
2. Cristiano Ronaldo – £97.9m
3. Lionel Messi – £95.3m
4. Neymar – £78.9m
5. Mohamed Salah – £34.2m
6. Eden Hazard – £27.1m
7. Andres Iniesta – £26m
8. Raheem Sterling – £25.5m
9. Kevin de Bruyne – £25.1m
10. Antoine Griezmann – £23.8m
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