According to Forbes magazine, Kylian Mbappe of Paris St. Germain has overtaken Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest-paid soccer player in the world for the first time in eight years.
With Messi of PSG coming in second place with $120 million and Ronaldo of Manchester United coming in third with $100 million, Mbappe, 23, is expected to earn $128 million for the 2022–23 season before agents’ fees, setting a record for Forbes’ yearly rankings. Neymar ($87 million) of PSG and Mohamed Salah ($53 million) of Liverpool completed the top five.
Erling Haaland debuts in the top 10 with earnings of $39 million after a meteoric start to his Manchester City career following his close-season transfer from Borussia Dortmund. According to a Forbes article, as Messi and Ronaldo near the end of their illustrious careers, the development of Frenchman Kylian Mbappe and Norwegian Haaland—the only players under 30 on the list—signals a change in the worldwide game.
The combined earnings of the top 10 soccer players are anticipated to reach record levels this season, totalling $652 million, up 11% from the $585 million earned the previous season.
