10 highest paid footballers of World Cup 2026

Many things are happening for the first time in this year’s FIFA World Cup. For the first time in the tournament’s 96-year history, 48 teams are participating. It is also the first time the World Cup is being jointly hosted by three countries—the United States, Canada, and Mexico. A record number of matches will be played across 16 cities.

Ticket prices have also reached new heights. FIFA recently set the maximum price for the World Cup final on 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey at $32,970. This price is three times higher than April’s price and nearly 20 times more than the 2022 Qatar World Cup final ticket.

Another special feature of the 2026 World Cup is that, for the first time, two billionaire footballers are participating—Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo is leading Portugal, while the 38-year-old Lionel Messi is leading defending champions Argentina in their title defense.

The world-famous Forbes magazine has published a list of the highest-paid footballers participating in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The list is based on players’ earnings over the past 12 months. Let’s see who are on the list:

Harry Kane is the highest-earning player in this World Cup, ranked 10th overall. The Bayern Munich striker is England’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals in 113 international matches. Over the past 12 months, he earned $41 million. He won the Golden Boot as joint top scorer at the 2024 European Championship. The 32-year-old Kane also scored in England’s first World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand this month. According to ESPN, his total goals for club and country in 2026 have reached 32, which is 14 more than any other player in the world.

Yamal missed the final part of La Liga due to a hamstring injury. He returned to Spain’s national team training in late May, but Barcelona has imposed strict conditions on his World Cup participation. According to Spanish media outlet AS, he is expected to play only 15 minutes in Spain’s first match against Cape Verde, and up to 60 minutes against Saudi Arabia the following week. However, his television and advertising presence will not decrease. He signed a deal with American Eagle in January. He will also appear in World Cup campaigns for Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Powerade, and Visa. Over the past year, he earned $43 million.

Bellingham is one of Real Madrid’s three biggest stars alongside Mbappé and Vinícius Jr., all of whom are on this list. He is still a few weeks away from turning 23. Over the past 12 months, he earned $44 million. He was an important member of England’s 2022 World Cup squad. He became the second-youngest English World Cup scorer in the group stage against Iran and provided an assist in the Round of 16. Later, he joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund for a $100 million transfer fee.

This year, Mané has already won two major trophies. In January, he helped Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations title, and he also won the Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. However, the AFCON title was later revoked after a protest-related incident. Mané, who missed the 2022 World Cup due to a knee injury, now has a chance to perform well. He may also attract new sponsors. His Al Nassr contract is set to expire this month. He earned $54 million over the past year.

After nine seasons with Liverpool, scoring 257 goals and winning two Premier League titles, Salah is now moving on. The winger, who turned 34 on 15 June, agreed in March to terminate his Liverpool contract one year early. This allows him to join a new club as a free agent. Over the past 12 months, he earned $55 million. His focus is now on the World Cup. Egypt has never won a World Cup match, and hopes are high that the wait may end.

Vinícius Jr. had a difficult season at Real Madrid. In various interviews, he said that Brazil’s chances of winning the World Cup are low this time, which is disappointing news for Brazilian fans. In an interview with Spanish content creator Ibai Llanos in February, he named Argentina, Portugal, Spain, and France as the main title contenders. In March, he again stated that five-time world champions Brazil should not be considered title favourites this year. He earned $60 million over the past year.

Erling Haaland signed a record contract extension with Manchester City last year. However, Real Madrid continues to show interest in signing him. Over the past week, entrepreneur Enrique Riquelme promised he would sign Haaland if he becomes Real Madrid president, which led to legal threats from Manchester City. He earned $80 million in the past year. Norway is playing in the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

Although he has played in three fewer World Cups than Messi, Mbappé is only one goal behind him in World Cup scoring. He led France to the 2018 World Cup title at just 19 years old and reached the final again in 2022. Over the past year, he earned $95 million. He is one of football’s most marketable stars and recently became an ambassador and investor in health insurance company Alan.

Like his long-time rival Ronaldo, Messi has also recently been included in Forbes’ list of billionaire athletes. Over the past year, he earned $140 million. His total net worth is now around $1.1 billion. Along with Ronaldo and Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa, Messi is also set to play a record sixth World Cup. He will turn 39 on June 24. If he scores four goals in this World Cup, he could break Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record. Messi, who led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title, has won the Ballon d’Or eight times. Among current players, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time.

Ronaldo is not only the highest-earning football player but also one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. He has held this position for four consecutive years. Over the past 12 months, he earned an estimated $300 million. According to Forbes, excluding inflation adjustments, only boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. has earned a comparable amount among athletes. Ronaldo is also the only active player whose career earnings have exceeded $2 billion. Forbes estimates his current net worth at $1.2 billion. He is one of only four active billionaire athletes still competing. Although he has not won a World Cup, he has become one of football’s brightest icons, winning five Ballon d’Or awards and five Champions League titles.

Source: Forbes