Ronaldo Retains Top Spot As World’s Highest-Paid Footballer

Cristiano Ronaldo has maintained his status as the world’s highest-paid footballer by weekly base salary, while long-time rival Lionel Messi has slipped to 13th in the latest global earnings rankings.

According to salary data compiled by Capology and published by Planet Football, Ronaldo earns an estimated £3.42 million per week at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, keeping him comfortably ahead of the rest of the world’s top earners.

His closest challenger is fellow Saudi Pro League star Karim Benzema, who reportedly receives £2.01 million weekly at Al-Ittihad.

The latest rankings further underline Saudi Arabia’s growing financial influence in football, with six players from the Saudi Pro League featuring among the world’s 15 highest-paid footballers.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is the highest-paid player in the English Premier League, earning £525,000 per week, while Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé occupies sixth place globally with a reported weekly salary of £512,992.

Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane are tied in ninth position, each earning £410,393 every week.

Meanwhile, Messi has returned to the rankings following his move to Major League Soccer club Inter Miami.

The Argentina captain reportedly earns £360,876 per week, placing him 13th on the global list after being absent from the previous edition.

Other players among the top earners include Jamal Musiala, Darwin Núñez, Virgil van Dijk, and Rúben Neves.

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The salary figures are based solely on estimated weekly base wages and do not include performance bonuses, signing-on fees, image rights, or commercial endorsement earnings.

Top 15 Highest-Paid Footballers by Weekly Base Salary includes:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – £3,421,039

2. Karim Benzema – £2,010,107

3. Sadio Mané – £656,629

4. Kalidou Koulibaly – £569,626

5. Erling Haaland – £525,000

6. Kylian Mbappé – £512,992

7. Sergej Milinković-Savić – £418,765

8. Ivan Toney – £418,765

9. Vinícius Júnior – £410,393

10. Harry Kane – £410,393

11. Jamal Musiala – £374,771

12. Darwin Núñez – £368,533

13. Lionel Messi – £360,876

14. Virgil van Dijk – £350,000

15. Rúben Neves – £343,417

Ronaldo’s commanding lead at the top of the rankings highlights the financial strength of the Saudi Pro League, while Messi’s position reflects the changing landscape of football salaries, ending an era in which the two global icons consistently dominated the wage charts side by side.