Cristiano Ronaldo does better than Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé

For the first time in 21 years, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did not appear in the list of thirty candidates for the Ballon d'Or, but the two legends still remain well in place in the traditional ranking of the highest paid footballers of 2024. As every year, the magazine Forbes has drawn up its top 10 and the Portuguese and the Argentinian remain firmly in the lead. Forbes added salaries received by clubs (base salary, bonuses and, in some cases, image rights agreements) to off-field income (sponsorships, public appearances, personal businesses). Ronaldo tops the rankings with $285 million for the year. The Portuguese earns a monstrous salary at Al-Nassr (220 million per year), in addition to his very popular image. With 900 million followers on social networks, Cristiano Ronaldo is indeed the most followed athlete on the planet. Partnerships with Nike, Herbalife and Whoop do the rest. Without forgetting the hotels, perfumes and underwear of the CR7 brand.

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In total, Cristiano Ronaldo earns more than double that of his great rival Lionel Messi. The Argentine world champion, however, surpasses the Portuguese in terms of partnerships. To the 60 million dollars in salary paid by Inter Miami, the former Barcelona and PSG player must add the 75 million received off the field. From Adidas to Apple, including the Japanese video game giant Konami, Messi boasts a very busy portfolio of collaborations. Last month, Lionel Messi also launched 525 Rosario (named after his hometown and the address of his family home), a production company which aims to become a benchmark in the entertainment industry. In third place follows Neymar (110 million in total). The French Karim Benzema (96 million) and Kylian Mbappé (83 million) complete the first part of the ranking.