Ronaldo earns more than Messi, Neymar combined

According to Forbes, Ronaldo receives around $220 million from Al Nassr, including salary, bonuses and promotional obligations. Additionally, he brings in $65 million from endorsements and business ventures. This marks a new personal record for Ronaldo, surpassing last year's $260 million. This puts him at the top of Forbes' highest-earning footballers list for the sixth time in the past decade.

Since Forbes began tracking athlete earnings in 1990, only former boxer Floyd Mayweather has exceeded Ronaldo's current total, earning more than $285 million in a single year.

In 2024, Ronaldo surpassed 900 career goals at both club and international level, and became the first person to reach over one billion followers across social media platforms. At 39 years old, he maintains sponsorships with Nike, Herbalife and Whoop, alongside his CR7-branded businesses, which include hotels, fragrance and underwear.

Messi is said to earn around $135 million, with $60 million coming from his contract with American club Inter Miami, less than a third of Ronaldo's salary at Al Nassr. However, Messi earns $75 million from endorsements and other ventures, which is higher than his career rival Ronaldo.

Messi’s contract with Inter Miami runs until 2025, with the option to extend for another year. The Argentine star, who won the 2022 World Cup, partners with major brands like Adidas, Apple TV and Konami, and has over 500 million Instagram followers. Last month, he launched his own production company, 525 Rosario, named after his hometown in Argentina.

Despite being sidelined with injury, Neymar still earned $110 million, including $80 million in salary from Al Hilal and $30 million from outside of football. Neymar, who joined Al Hilal in August 2023 for a record transfer fee in Saudi Arabia of $98 million, has played just five games and scored one goal. His contract runs until summer of 2025. The Brazilian star, who has over 225 million Instagram followers, continues to promote his long-time sponsors, including Puma and Blaze Casino.

Kylian Mbappe, who is currently Europe’s highest-paid footballer, is expected to earn $90 million this year. The 2018 World Cup winner receives $70 million in salary from Real Madrid and another $20 million from endorsements.

Mbappe is also pursuing a $60 million lawsuit against Paris Saint-Germain, which includes a $40 million loyalty bonus due in February 2024 and his unpaid salary and bonuses for April, May and June 2024.

Three Premier League players also rank in Forbes' top 10 highest-paid footballers for 2024, who are Erling Haaland (at sixth with $60 million), Mohamed Salah (eighth with $53 million), and Kevin De Bruyne (10th with $39 million). The other two players in the top 10 are Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid, $55 million) and Sadio Mané (Al Nassr, $52 million).

Forbes' figures include salaries, bonuses and off-field earnings such as sponsorships, appearance fees, brand partnerships and business ventures owned by the players.