Highest-paid players at the 2026 World Cup: Ronaldo, Messi, Mbappé and Haaland lead the earnings ranking

The highest-paid players at the 2026 World Cup: Ronaldo and Messi lead the financial ranking, Mbappé and Haaland bring a generational shift

The 2026 World Cup begins on June 11 and will be played for the first time in three host countries, Canada, Mexico and the United States of America. According to FIFA's official schedule, the largest edition of the tournament so far brings together 48 national teams, 104 matches and 16 host cities, which means that the sporting, commercial and media reach of the competition will be greater than at any previous World Cup. In such an environment, special attention is drawn to the financial ranking of the players arriving at the tournament, because with the biggest stars the discussion is no longer only about club salaries, but also about sponsorship contracts, marketing rights, personal brands and business stakes. According to data published by Forbes for the 2025/26 season, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are still at the top of the global list of football earnings, although at the same time the generation led by Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal is breaking through ever more strongly. These amounts are not official data from FIFA or the national teams, but estimates of total annual earnings before taxes and commissions, which is why they should be read as the most relevant publicly available financial overview, and not as an official salary list for the tournament.

What counts as a footballer's earnings

According to Forbes' methodology, a footballer's total earnings consist of two main categories: on-field income and off-field income. On-field income includes base salary, bonuses and, in some cases, commercial rights agreements connected to the club, while off-field income includes sponsorships, licensing, appearances, memorabilia and money from business projects in which the player has a significant interest. Forbes states that the estimates are derived from publicly available databases, including Capology, and from conversations with people from the football industry, with amounts converted into U.S. dollars and not reduced for taxes, agent fees or other costs. It is important to emphasize that national teams at the World Cup do not pay players such salaries; they arise primarily from club contracts and the commercial value of individuals. FIFA and national associations separately regulate bonuses and rewards for participation, and for the 2026 edition FIFA has announced a separate fund for associations, not personal contracts for footballers.

Such a difference often creates confusion when discussing the highest-paid players at a major tournament. A player may be among the best-paid in the world because of a club contract or sponsorship portfolio, but that does not mean the same amount is paid to him by the national team. On the other hand, the World Cup increases commercial exposure, so a good performance can strengthen a player's negotiating position in the next contract or open up new sponsorship deals. This analysis therefore highlights footballers from confirmed squads who are among the biggest global earners according to the latest publicly available estimates.

Ranking according to available earnings estimates

• 1. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal and Al Nassr: Forbes estimates his total earnings for the 2025/26 season at 280 million U.S. dollars, of which 230 million dollars are on-field and club-related income, and 50 million dollars are off-field income. FIFA stated in the announcement of the Portuguese squad that Ronaldo is in Roberto Martínez's team for the 2026 World Cup, which means he enters the tournament as the financially most powerful individual among the participants.
• 2. Lionel Messi, Argentina and Inter Miami: Forbes estimates Messi's total earnings at 130 million U.S. dollars, with 60 million dollars of on-field income and 70 million dollars off the field. According to FIFA's publication of Argentina's list, Lionel Scaloni included Messi in the squad of the world champions, so one of the world's most recognizable athletes will once again be one of the commercial symbols of the tournament.
• 3. Kylian Mbappé, France and Real Madrid: Forbes gives an estimate of 95 million U.S. dollars in total earnings, with 70 million dollars on the field and 25 million dollars off the field. Mbappé comes to the United States, Canada and Mexico as France's leading attacking star and as a player whose market value rests on a combination of results, youth and the global recognition of Real Madrid.
• 4. Erling Haaland, Norway and Manchester City: Forbes estimates his earnings at 80 million U.S. dollars, of which 60 million are connected to his contract and bonuses, and 20 million to commercial deals. In the announcement of Norway's squad, FIFA highlighted Haaland as a key figure of the national team, making his first appearance at the World Cup one of the most important individual marketing moments of the tournament.
• 5. Vinícius Júnior, Brazil and Real Madrid: Forbes attributes total earnings of 60 million U.S. dollars to him, with 40 million dollars on the field and 20 million dollars off the field. Brazil enters the tournament with great expectations, and FIFA's official announcement of the Brazilian squad confirms that Vinícius is part of the attacking group led by Carlo Ancelotti.
• 6. Mohamed Salah, Egypt and Liverpool: According to Forbes, Salah's total earnings amount to 55 million U.S. dollars, with 35 million referring to on-field income and 20 million to commercial income. The Egyptian captain represents one of the most important African football brands and at the same time one of the biggest individual stories of the tournament outside the usual circle of European and South American favorites.
• 7. Sadio Mané, Senegal and Al Nassr: Forbes estimates Mané's total earnings at 54 million U.S. dollars, of which 50 million dollars come from contracts connected to the game, and four million dollars off the field. His position shows how much contracts in Saudi Arabia have changed the top of the football economy, especially for players who had already built a strong international reputation in European leagues.
• 8. Jude Bellingham, England and Real Madrid: Forbes estimates his total earnings at 44 million U.S. dollars, with 29 million dollars on the field and 15 million dollars off the field. Bellingham enters the financial elite as a representative of the younger generation, and his value is further increasing because of his central role at Real Madrid and his status as one of the most prominent England internationals.
• 9. Lamine Yamal, Spain and Barcelona: Forbes states total earnings of 43 million U.S. dollars, with 33 million dollars coming from on-field income and 10 million dollars from off-field income. His entry into the top of the financial ranking is especially significant because it shows how much the market has accelerated for the most talented young players who have not yet reached their full sporting peak.
• 10. Neymar, Brazil and Santos: Forbes does not include him among the ten highest-paid footballers in the world for the 2025/26 season, but gives an estimate of 38 million U.S. dollars in total earnings after his departure from Al Hilal and return to Santos. According to FIFA's announcement of the Brazilian squad, Neymar has been included among the players chosen by Carlo Ancelotti, so he remains one of the tournament's best-known commercial profiles, albeit with lower earnings than during the period of his Saudi contract.

Why Benzema is not on the participants' ranking

One of the important notes concerns Karim Benzema, whom Forbes places third in the global ranking for the 2025/26 season with an estimated 104 million U.S. dollars in total earnings. Benzema, however, is not relevant to the ranking of the highest-paid players at the 2026 World Cup because after the final of the 2022 World Cup he announced his retirement from the French national team, as international media reported at the time. His case clearly shows the difference between the global ranking of football earnings and the ranking of players who will actually appear at a major national-team tournament. Similar caution is needed with other names whose club contracts may change before or immediately after the championship, but whose amounts are not always publicly announced or confirmed. Benzema can therefore be considered one of the highest-paid footballers in the world, but not one of the highest-paid participants at the 2026 World Cup.

Ronaldo remains a financial exception

Cristiano Ronaldo enters this tournament as the clearest example of a footballer whose earnings exceed the usual proportions even for elite professional sport. According to Forbes, his estimated earnings of 280 million U.S. dollars include an exceptionally high amount connected to Al Nassr and additional income from sponsorships and his own business projects. Such a ranking can largely be explained by the changes brought by the Saudi football market, where leading clubs in recent years have used high-value contracts to attract globally known players. For Portugal, his sixth appearance on the world stage also has a symbolic dimension, but financially speaking Ronaldo remains a category of his own.

Messi as a different earnings model

Lionel Messi occupies second place among the highest-paid participants in the tournament, but the structure of his earnings differs significantly from Ronaldo's. According to Forbes' estimates, Messi has 60 million U.S. dollars of on-field income and 70 million dollars off the field, meaning that commercial deals make up the larger part of his total annual earnings. Argentina arrives as the reigning world champion, and Messi as the face of the generation that ended a long search for the title in Qatar in 2022. His 2026 appearance is therefore not only a sporting question, but also one of the main commercial assets of the entire championship.

Mbappé and Haaland represent the next market peak

Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland enter the tournament as the most expensive representatives of the generation taking center stage after the era of Ronaldo and Messi. According to Forbes, Mbappé stands at 95 million U.S. dollars in total earnings, and his combination of a contract at Real Madrid, national-team status and global marketing potential makes him one of the most important sports brands in Europe. Haaland, with an estimated 80 million dollars, is immediately behind him, and FIFA singles him out in the announcement of the Norwegian squad as a key player of the national team returning to the biggest stage. If they achieve a major result at the tournament, their commercial position could strengthen further already during the summer.

Real Madrid and Barcelona as producers of the financial elite

Among the highest-paid participants at the 2026 World Cup, the Spanish club scene stands out in particular. Real Madrid has three very highly positioned players in this overview: Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham. Such concentration shows that the biggest European clubs can still compete with new financial centers, although the Saudi league leads in the most extreme individual contracts. Barcelona is represented at the top through Lamine Yamal, whose contract and sponsorship growth confirm that the market capitalizes very quickly on exceptional talent even before a player enters the best years of his career.

Africa has two major financial stars

Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané show that the highest-paid players at the tournament do not come only from the traditional European and South American football powers. Salah's estimated earnings of 55 million U.S. dollars rest on his long-standing status at Liverpool, but also on his exceptional popularity in Egypt, Africa and the wider Arab world. Mané, with 54 million dollars according to Forbes, shows another path: after top years in European football, his contract at Al Nassr secured him a place among the best-paid players of the tournament. Their presence confirms that the global football economy is increasingly crossing the borders of the richest European markets.

FIFA money goes to associations, not directly to the biggest stars

According to the decision of the FIFA Council from December 2025, a financial contribution of 727 million U.S. dollars was approved for the 2026 World Cup for participating associations, with 655 million dollars referring to the prize fund distributed according to placement. FIFA states that each national team will receive at least 10.5 million dollars when the guaranteed participation award and preparation funds are added together, while the world champion will receive 50 million dollars from the prize fund. These amounts are important for national associations, logistics, preparations and development programs, but they do not represent a direct salary for players such as Ronaldo, Messi or Mbappé. Individual associations may separately agree bonuses for players, but those agreements are not comparable to the club and sponsorship contracts that dominate this financial ranking. That is precisely why the comparison shows the scale of modern football: the estimated annual earnings of the highest-paid individual exceed several times over the prize that FIFA pays to a national team for winning the tournament.

A major tournament as a stage for new contracts

The 2026 World Cup will be a sporting test, but also the largest single commercial stage for the football market in the coming period. Players such as Bellingham and Yamal can further accelerate the growth of their personal brands with one major tournament, while already established stars such as Mbappé, Haaland and Vinícius can confirm their status as future pillars of the global order. For Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar, the championship has a different tone: it is a continuation of careers that have already defined one era, but also an opportunity for their commercial value to be maintained at the highest level despite their years and increasingly frequent questions about physical readiness. Ultimately, the list of the highest-paid players shows how much football has changed: the tournament is no longer only a battle of national teams, but also a meeting of different economic models, from Saudi contracts and the American MLS to Spanish giants and global sponsorship networks. When the matches begin, the sporting result will temporarily overshadow the figures, but the financial background will remain an important part of understanding the power and influence of the biggest football stars.

Sources:
- Forbes Australia – estimates of the earnings of the highest-paid footballers in the 2025/26 season and calculation methodology (link)
- FIFA – official schedule of the 2026 World Cup, number of national teams, matches and host cities (link)
- FIFA – confirmed national-team squads for the 2026 World Cup and overview of tournament participants (link)
- FIFA – publication of the Portuguese squad with Cristiano Ronaldo for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – publication of the Argentine squad with Lionel Messi for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – publication of the Norwegian squad with Erling Haaland for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – publication of the Brazilian squad with Neymar and Vinícius Júnior for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- Inside FIFA – decision of the FIFA Council on the financial contribution and prize fund for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFPRO – expert context on professional footballers' contracts and players' labour rights (link)
- Al Jazeera – report on Karim Benzema's retirement from the French national team (link)