Kylian Mbappé leads Forbes list of highest-paid soccer players

Kylian Mbappé overtook Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest-paid soccer player on the planet, according to Forbes. The annual list claims the French superstar earns about $128 million for the current campaign. The staggering total is the company’s record for their annual list.

Mbappé just signed a massive new contract early this summer. The deal with the Parisian club runs until 2025. The rise in the rankings for the France international was certainly substantial. Forbes ranked Mbappé fourth on their list just last year with yearly wages amounting to around $43 million.

Messi is, however, still a close second in the rankings with a total of $120 million earnings. The Argentine kept his second spot from the previous year. However, while his ranking remained the same, his wages did go up $10 million from 2021-22.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, dropped from first to third in the company’s list. The 37-year-old forward rakes in about $100 million this season. This is down nearly $25 million from the previous year. Manchester United can’t seem to get the most out of their club legend so far during the current campaign. The Portugal international has not started a Premier League match in nearly two months.

Forbes ranks highest-paid soccer players

Perhaps the most surprising names on the Forbes list were Eden Hazard and Iniesta. Hazard ($31 million) is currently in the middle of a regrettable contract with Real Madrid. The Belgian actually moved up two spots to eighth in the 2022 salary rankings.

Iniesta ($30 million) ranked ninth in the list, one spot ahead of Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne ($29 million). The 38-year-old legend is still currently playing with Vissel Kobe in Japan.

Neymar ($87 million), Mohamed Salah ($53 million), Erling Haaland ($39 million), and Robert Lewandowski ($35 million) round out the top 10 list by Forbes. The figures for all players are pre-tax and also before agent fees are deducted from their salaries.

The complete list of highest-paid soccer players in 2022 by Forbes: