Kylian Mbappe Tops Football Earnings List – Forbes

Kylian Mbappe Tops Football Earnings List – Forbes. According to a Forbes magazine report published on Friday, French superstar striker Kylian Mbappe will record $128 million in annual earnings, putting him at the top of the list of the world’s highest-paid football players.

Mbappe reached the $100 million mark at the age of 23, while legends such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were in their 30s and at the pinnacle of their careers when they did so for the first time.

In May, Mbappe agreed to a three-year contract deal to stay with Ligue 1’s powerhouse, Paris-Saint Germain. According to Forbes, Mbappe will earn approximately $110 million for his salary and season share of a signing bonus, as well as an estimated $18 million in annual endorsement income from companies such as Nike, Dior, Hublot, and Oakley.

Mbappe has appeared on the cover of EA Sports’ FIFA video game, founded the production company Zebra Valley, and is an investor in the fantasy NFT platform Sorare.

“He’s a global icon already,” Sorare co-founder Nicolas Julia told Forbes.

“He wants to aid the world and show, also, that huge things can be built out of France.”

PSG teammate Messi, 35, comes in second with $120 million, while Manchester United’s Ronaldo, 37, comes in third with $100 million. They’d held the top two spots since 2014 and continue to set the endorsements pace, with Ronaldo earning $60 million and Messi earning $55 million.

Overall, the top ten players will earn $652 million this season, an 11% increase over last year’s total of $585 million. Mbappe, Messi, and Portugal’s Ronaldo account for more than half of the total.

PSG forward Neymar of Brazil came in fourth with $87 million, followed by Mohamed Salah with $53 million, Erling Haaland with $39 million, Robert Lewandowski with $35 million, Eden Hazard with $31 million, Andres Iniesta with $30 million, and Kevin De Bruyne with $29 million.