Soccer is the most populous and highly rewarding game in the world, having more than 3.5 billion fans. With time, soccer has grown rapidly and has reached every corner of the world. Most people follow their favorite players and are always eager to know about their annual earnings. So, if you are a die-hard soccer fan and need to know about the highest-paid players of 2021, then this article is for you.

Top 6 World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2021

Soccer is a sport that gives a lot to the players, including name, fame, and a lot of money. Suppose you consider the contract deal of players with the clubs. In that case, it goes to millions, and the best examples are the two legendary soccer players, i.e., Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi who are the best livescore makers in the world. Most soccer players earn through soccer and endorsements. Furthermore, some players from other sports made more from the endorsements than their salaries, such as Roger Federer, Tiger Woods, and others. 

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the biggest rivals in terms of sports and earnings. Ronaldo played for Juventus earlier and later moved back to Manchester United, whereas Lionel Messi joined PSG after leaving Barcelona. Now, let’s see the list of soccer players who are at the top of the chart of highest-paid soccer players.

1) Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo, a Portuguese player and one of the best players in soccer history, is at the top of the earning chart. In his professional career, he bagged many trophies, including the league and UEFA championship. In the last season, he played for Juventus, where he was the top goal scorer in Serie A. Later, Manchester United announced that the legendary soccer player is returning to Old Trafford as he was once a player of this club in 2003. 

If you look at his total annual earnings, it’s $125 million, where $70 million is his salary, and the remaining $55 million is generated through endorsement. Furthermore, his entire earnings through soccer are more than $1 billion, and this figure clearly shows the dominance of this player in the world’s leading sport, i.e., soccer. 

2) Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi, an Argentine footballer, is in second on the chart of the world’s highest-paid soccer players. Messi is very popular among people as he has reached several milestones and bagged many trophies. He served Barcelona for 21 years, and recently the club discontinued him because of a financial crunch. But his popularity still lies and considering the same PSG immediately signed him. 

In the monetary matter, Lionel Messi’s total revenue is more than $1 billion, out of which $875 million comes from football earnings and the rest $350 million from endorsements. In 2021, his annual income was $110 million; from football, he earned $75 million, and the rest from the endorsements.

If you go through his professional career, you will find it amazing, as he is the player who made maximum hat tricks in La Liga. Furthermore, Messi is the only South American player to score a maximum goal; the stats show it’s 750.

3) Neymar Jr.

Neymar, the Brazilian footballer, and an outstanding player, are next on the list whose annual earnings through soccer is $75 million, and from the endorsement, he got $20 million. Neymar is a very popular sportsperson and has also achieved many trophies. If you remember the 2017 champion league, Neymar made his club PSG reach the finals. During that period, he was signed by the club with a whopping amount of $263 million, the biggest amount any player received during the transfer.

Neymar comes next after Pelé in terms of most goal scorer for the Brazilian team. If you consider his records, they are amazing, and considering the same; many leading news agencies tagged him with various quotes. One such from Time Magazine is the ‘100 most influential people in the world’, and from Forbes, Neymar is the ‘third-highest paid soccer player in the world.’ 

4) Kylian Mbappe

Kylian is another PSG player who is the world’s fourth highest-paid soccer player. At a young age, he achieved a lot, and his earnings through soccer in 2021 were $28 million, and from the endorsement, he gained $15 million. 

Kylian played his first world FIFA world cup at 18 and thus became the youngest French footballer to achieve this record. During that period, France won the FIFA world cup, and Kylian was the second-highest goal scorer in the tournament. 

5) Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah, an amazing Egyptian Footballer and the legendary soccer player of Africa earned $25 million in 2021. At a young age, he gained popularity through his outstanding soccer skills. In 2017, he was signed by Liverpool and made his club reach the final of the UEFA Championship League (2018), and since then, he has been with this club. 

If you look closely at his achievements, you will be amazed, as he bagged many trophies and titles, including the FIFA Puskás Award in 2018, PFA Player of the Year, and others. The influence of Salah in Liverpool reduced the hate sentiments faced by the Muslims in that region because the gameplay and skills of Salah made the European people change their perception of Islamic people.    

5) Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski, the pride of Poland and a player of Bayern Munich club, annual income in 2021 was $27 million. In his international career, he made 76 goals and also represented his club in various championships. Robert is one of the best strikers in the Bundesliga, and his playing technique is amazing.  

In 2021, he was awarded FIFA’s Best Player Award in the Men category and retained the Best UEFA Player award. 

Bottom Line

Soccer is a sport that has given a lot to the players, especially fame and money. On the list, there are many other popular soccer players, such as Andres Iniesta, whose income in 2021 via soccer was $31 million. Furthermore, if you remember Paul Pogba, his annual income in 2021 was $27 million. Similarly, in the list, Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard are also on the list, and their earnings through soccer in 2021 were $26 million.