The highest paid players of 2022. Which footballers took the most money?

It’s not for nothing that they say football is a business. There is a lot of money involved and players are paid millions of euros. But it is simply a globally watched sport that makes incredible money. Which footballers made the biggest fortunes in 2022?

5. Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City – £400,000 per week

De Bruyne signed a new contract at Manchester City in the summer, which shot him into the financial elite – a footballing elite he reached through his own artistry.

In a contract until 2025, De Bruyne signed for £400,000 a week, which works out at around £11m. the 31-year-old midfielder certainly deserves that sum for his services to the Citizens.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United – £515,000 per week

Although he is probably the most popular sportsman in the world and if you added up all the earnings he would be at the top, Ronaldo’s club contract was set at £515,000 per week, which amounts to roughly 14 million crowns.

However, at the end of the year he terminated that luxury contract with Manchester United and is looking for a new challenge. Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr offered to send him to the top of the ladder with the earnings on offer.

3. Neymar – PSG – £606,000 per week

The Brazilian icon left Barcelona for PSG for a record transfer fee of €212m, he also had to be valued accordingly. His contract has also been upgraded a couple of times, with Neymar currently earning £606,000 per week, which works out to £16 and a half million.

So in a year, Neymar will earn €30 million, plus generous bonuses. And he is only the third highest paid player at PSG, with two more to come…

2. Lionel Messi – PSG – £960,000 per week

When he arrived at PSG from Barcelona, he was set to be the star who would lead the Parisians to Champions League glory. He was duly rewarded for that too, receiving a salary of £960,000 per week, equivalent to £26 million.

So far, he has not fulfilled his role at the Parc des Princes, but at least marketing-wise he has paid off for the Parisians. Financially, it’s hard to say yet.

After all, Messi earns £50 million a year, plus extremely generous bonuses. And he’s still not the highest paid footballer in the world.

1. Kylian Mbappé – PSG – £1,600,000 per week

The future best player in the world – that’s how Kylian Mbappé is often referred to. And also a player that Real Madrid wanted immensely and where Mbappé himself wanted to go. So PSG had to pull out all the stops and totally break all records to keep their star.

Along with other powers, such as the ability to interfere in the composition of the squad or to choose his position on the pitch, Mbappé was given a luxury salary that made him the highest paid player in football history.

PSG send £1,600,000 per week (!) into his account every week, which amounts to almost £44 million. On top of that, he got a €100 million signing bonus.

One would like to raise the question of how the hell PSG does it, paying three players such salaries and not violating financial fair-play. On top of that, players like Sergio Ramos, Marco Verratti, Marquinhos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi are also not taking a complete pittance. Well, UEFA would certainly do something about it if there was something wrong…

Source: Radio Times, Transfermarkt