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Saturday, January 11, 2025
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Ronaldo beats Messi as soccer's highest earner in 2024

publish time

11/01/2025

publish time

11/01/2025

Cristiano Ronaldo

PARIS, Jan 11: The French website Foot Mercato has unveiled a fascinating statistic that places Cristiano Ronaldo at the top once again, surpassing his long-standing rival Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo, the captain and star of Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr, leads the list of the highest-paid players in global football. According to the report, the Portuguese icon earned an astounding €263 million in 2024.

Breaking down the earnings, Ronaldo receives €203 million as his salary from Al-Nassr and an additional €60 million from sponsorships and his expanding social media presence. Notably, his recently launched YouTube channel set a record as the fastest to reach one million subscribers.

Lionel Messi, the Argentine captain of Inter Miami, ranks second with an annual income of €124 million.

Neymar Jr., the Brazilian star of Al-Hilal, holds third place with a salary of €101 million, followed by Al-Ittihad captain Karim Benzema with €96 million.

In fifth place is French forward Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid, earning €86 million annually. Norwegian striker Erling Haaland of Manchester City ranks sixth with €55 million.

Real Madrid and Brazil's rising star Vinícius Júnior comes in seventh with €51 million, while Egyptian sensation Mohamed Salah claims the eighth spot with €49 million.

The figures highlight the remarkable financial rewards for football's top stars, with Ronaldo continuing to set new records both on and off the field.