Who is the richest player of FIFA World Cup 2026? Who has more money Ronaldo or Messi? Who are the top-5 highest earning footballers? Are players like Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Jr in this list or not?
FIFA World Cup 2026 Highest Paid Player: The trumpet of the biggest football extravaganza, FIFA World Cup 2026 has been sounded. This time’s World Cup is historic in many ways. For the first time, 48 teams are playing and for the first time the tournament is being held in three countries: America, Canada and Mexico. This time the world’s biggest football stars are also in the news regarding their earnings. The question is, who is the richest between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? Who is the highest earning player in World Cup 2026? What is the earning of the top-5 players playing in this World Cup? Let us know who is number-1 among Ronaldo and Messi in this race of earnings and how close are the other players to them…
Where do football players earn from?
According to forbes.com, the top players playing in the World Cup 2026 have together earned hundreds of millions of dollars in the last 12 months. This includes match fees, club contracts, endorsements and brand deals. In terms of earnings, Cristiano Ronaldo is at first place and Lionel Messi is at second place.
Ronaldo left everyone behind
Even at the age of 41, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest earning athlete not only in football but in all sports in the world. His earnings from the field are ₹1,960 crore ($235M). Whereas the earning from outside the field i.e. from advertising is ₹540 crore ($65M). Ronaldo is the only player in the world who has earned lifetime earnings of more than ₹ 16,000 crore while being active. After making Saudi Arabia’s club Al-Nassr the champion, they will enter this World Cup with the intention of winning their first trophy.
Lionel Messi is second in earning
38 year old Lionel Messi has also joined the club of billionaires like Ronaldo. He is captaining the defending champion Argentina. His earning from the field i.e. salary is ₹580 crore ($70M). Off-field earnings from advertisements and other things are ₹580 crore ($70M). Estimate the brand value of Messi from the fact that his 10 feet high inflatable mannequin is being sold indiscriminately in the American markets for around ₹ 8,000. By scoring just 4 goals in this World Cup, he will become the player with the most World Cup goals in history.
Kylian Mbappe is at number three
France’s 27-year-old star forward Kylian Mbappe is at third place in terms of earnings. This Real Madrid player is currently in seventh heaven. Earns around ₹580 crore ($70M) from the field while earns up to ₹210 crore ($25M) from advertisements and other things outside the field. Mbappe is only 27 years old but along with advertisements, he has also become a big investor (businessman) in health and insurance companies.
Erling Holland is fourth in earnings
Thanks to 25-year-old Erling Haaland, the Norway team is playing the World Cup for the first time since 1998. His total earnings are ₹665 Crore ($80 Million). Haaland plays for Manchester City. There is immense pressure on him to take the team forward, but he says, “I like the pressure.” Spain’s big club Real Madrid is also making offers worth crores to buy him.
Vinicius Junior at number 5 in earnings
25 year old Vinicius Junior of Brazil is at number five in this list. His estimated net worth is ₹500 Crore ($60 Million). Vinicius believes that this time Brazil is not the favourite, but Argentina and Portugal have more chances of winning. There is news for gaming lovers that in Nike’s new ad, a glimpse of a character from their famous game ‘Fortnite’ has also been seen.