Even though some people call it soccer, football is undoubtedly the most popular sport globally. It is thought that more than 3.5 billion people will like it. Only cricket comes close, with 2.5 billion players.
With a lot of fame and popularity comes a lot of money. The numbers have reached unbelievable highs, and the trend isn’t stopping. Let’s talk about the people who get the best parts of the pie. Here is a list of the highest-paid players in the FIFA World Cup who made the most money in 2022.
Highest-Paid Footballers in FIFA World Cup
1. Kylian Mbappe
A few of the big names on this list are French. Three top five highest-paid soccer players work for the same club, PSG. Even so, the Parisians still don’t have enough to win the UEFA Champions League. Still, Kylian Mbappe signed a substantial new contract with PSG, making him one of the highest-paid footballers in the FIFA World Cup.
Mbappe had repeatedly said he wanted to play for Real Madrid but decided not to join them. Instead, he signed a long-term deal with Paris, which gave him control over who will be the coach and who will join the team. That should make the inevitable bottlenecking in the Champo knockouts less painful next season.
2. Lionel Messi
The second spot goes to a player who might be the best in the game’s history. Even though he is 34 years old, many people still think Lionel Messi is the GOAT. After choosing to leave Barcelona in the summer of 2021, the Argentinean star became a free agent.
Not long after he left Camp Nou, Messi joined PSG. The French powerhouses offered Leo a huge net salary of $41 million annually. The contract was signed for two years, but there was a chance that the agreement could be extended for a third. Click here for the most up-to-date football tips and predictions.
3. Neymar Jr
Next up is Messi’s teammate Neymar, who just signed a new deal with PSG that runs through the summer of 2021. The Brazilian star will stay with the Parisian team until 2025. Every year, he gets $36.5 million.
Neymar has been among the world’s top five or ten players in the last ten years. He has won every title in France but would give up all of them for the much-desired UEFA Champions League trophy. Neymar’s contract with PSG includes a big bonus if the team wins the top continental competition.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo signed a two-year deal with his old team, Manchester United, in the summer of 2021. It made him the highest salary-paid player in the history of the English Premier League. After more than a decade in Real Madrid and Juventus, Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford.
Even though things aren’t going well for the Red Devils, Cristiano Ronaldo has nothing to worry about with his money. Even though he is 37, he is the fourth best-paid player in the world. Ronaldo signed a two-year contract with the option of adding a third year, just like his rival Lionel Messi.
5. Oscar
When Oscar moved to China in 2016, when he was still at the top of his career, people were surprised. On the other hand, the Brazilian is thought to have made more than three times as much at Shanghai as he would have at the Blues.
He may have missed out on a more high-profile career, but we think the private island he probably owns will help him overcome not having a more extensive collection of trophies.
6. Andres Iniesta
You thought Iniesta had left the game. Admit it. No, his great teammate Xavi is in charge of Barcelona right now, while the man who scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final is dazzling defences in Japan.
Since Iniesta joined Vissell Kobe in 2018, the club has won both the Emperor’s Cup and the Japanese Super Cup. He is 37 years old but could still play until he is 40.
7. Eden Hazard
Real Madrid and Manchester United are the only football teams that pay their players very high wages but still can’t get the best out of them. Since he moved to Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2019, Hazard has spent most of his time in the locker room. He hasn’t been in great shape whenever he’s been on the team.
8. Mohamed Salah
At the beginning of July, the Egyptian king of Liverpool signed a new three-year contract that made him the highest-paid footballer in the club’s history. It was well-deserved since he scored 156 goals in 254 games at Anfield, which is still going up.
After Sadio Mane left, Salah will be more critical this season. We think he’ll be fine.
9. Kevin De Bruyne
He makes a lot of money because he is one of, if not the best, world players. The Belgian midfielder has signed off until the summer of 2021, when his contract is up for renewal. He wrote down that he would stay with Manchester City until 2025.
The Citizens will have to pay more than $24 million annually for this luxury, but the exact amount is unknown.
10. Erling Haaland
After signing a huge deal, Manchester City’s new player comes with many hopes. It won’t be Haaland’s first time in Manchester. His father outstandingly played for the Citizens in the early 2000s. And a picture of a young Haaland Jr. in a City shirt from that time has become famous.
Fans will hope he can score a goal every game in the Premier League as he did at Borussia Dortmund. If he does, the city might be the best team for the next ten years.
11. David De Gea
The goalkeeper for Manchester United was once thought to be the best in the world, but he has had a rough few years. Even so, he is still world-class on his best days, as shown by his huge salary.
De Gea’s contract has one more year to go. Whether he stays or leaves depends on what the new manager, Erik Ten Haag, thinks.
12. Toni Kroos
Toni Kross was one of the best midfielders of his time, and there are many rumours that he will quit soccer when his contract runs out at the end of next season. If so, the German can look back on a great career in which he made millions of dollars and won almost as many Champions Leagues as he lost, as well as the 2014 World Cup.
It’s easy to forget that Kroos had a successful time at Bayern Munich before joining Real Madrid.
