Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list of the richest football players in the world for the year 2026, according to figures published by the “GiveMeSport” platform, citing the British newspaper “The Sun”, at a time when players’ contracts, salaries and advertisements have turned into a source of huge wealth within the game.








According to the list, Ronaldo, the Saudi Al-Nasr star and captain of Portugal, came in first place with a fortune amounting to one billion pounds sterling, being the only player to enter the billion club.

Lionel Messi, the Inter Miami player, came in second place with a fortune estimated at 742 million pounds, benefiting from his contract in the American League and his commercial income.

Brazilian Neymar came third with 334 million pounds sterling, despite the injuries that have plagued him recently, while Frenchman Kylian Mbappe ranked fourth with a fortune amounting to 186 million pounds sterling after his experiences with Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

In fifth place, Harry Kane came with a fortune amounting to 110 million pounds sterling, followed by Egyptian star Mohamed Salah in sixth place with 104 million pounds sterling, after his long career with Liverpool and his advertising and sports contracts.

As for seventh place, South Korean Son Heung-min went to him, with a fortune amounting to 74 million pounds sterling, after moving to Los Angeles FC in 2025.

Algerian Riyad Mahrez came eighth with 63 million pounds, benefiting from his career in the English Premier League and his move to Al-Ahly of Saudi Arabia.

Norwegian Erling Haaland came in ninth place with a fortune of 59 million pounds sterling, and he is one of the highest-paid players in the English Premier League.

Colombian James Rodriguez tied with him in tenth place, with a fortune estimated at 59 million pounds, after prominent experiences with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Everton, all the way to the American League.