We have already enjoyed 10 days of air in 2025, but the French media Foot Mercato is "a bit slow this year," only now compiling a list of the top 10 highest-paid football players in 2024. The Saudi Professional League, Asia's number one league, has become the undisputed "Gold Football League," with a total of four superstars making it onto the list, dominating half of it. President Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list with a staggering income, while Lionel Messi single-handedly supports the entire MLS with his earnings of 124 million euros, ranking second. Both the English Premier League and La Liga have two representatives each on the list, while the German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, and French Ligue 1 have none. Let's take a look together.
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list with 263 million euros, becoming the highest-paid player in football in 2024. His main income comes from the world's highest salary at Al Nassr, with additional significant earnings from advertising endorsements, reflecting his current influence in the football world; Argentine boss Messi, who is usually low-key, earns mainly from his substantial annual salary and some advertisements. However, if the Ballon d'Or winner were to focus solely on making money, his advertisements would surely be in high demand; Third place goes to Brazilian superstar Neymar, who, while lying on the sidelines and recovering from injuries at Al Hilal, still manages to earn 101 million euros a year, making him a true winner in life.
French team's T-Rex Benzema came to the Saudi Professional League to make a fortune, earning a super salary at Al Ittihad Jeddah, ranking fourth with an income of 96 million euros; Another Saudi gold-digger is Senegal's Mane, Ronaldo's teammate, who ranks ninth with 48 million euros; After discussing the smaller leagues, let's take a look at the representatives from La Liga and the Premier League. Real Madrid's Mbappe from La Liga ranks fifth with 83 million euros, with the French captain's main income coming from Paris Saint-Germain; 200 million forward Vinicius ranks seventh with 51 million euros; Manchester City's Haaland from the Premier League ranks sixth with 55 million euros, while Liverpool's Salah ranks eighth with 49 million euros. Finally, Belgium's captain De Bruyne rounds out the list with 36 million euros. Among these top 10 players, who do you think offers the best value for their earnings?
