One sport that we wait eagerly for every year is Football!! There is nothing much exciting than sitting with your family and watching the finals of a football season. While you might cheer on for FC Barcelona, there is some other member in your family who might want to cheer on for Real Madrid C.F. But the fun part in all of this? It is definitely spending time with your family. What you didn’t know while enjoying this football match which is just apparently a sport is that while you and your family are watching these football players play on the screen, these people are literally earning billions!! Well, you heard it right there. It’s billions that they earn. And if you think this is what is being talked about when you consider a year’s worth, then that’s wrong as it is only a week’s worth! If you don’t know who these players are, here are some of the top 10 richest footballers in the World 2021.
1. Faiq Bolkiah:
If you have always wondered who would rank this list, then here you are with the first on the list, Faiq Bolkiah! With a net worth of about $20 billion, Faiq is now the richest footballer on the whole of the planet. While some of you who are hardcore fans of footballs might know about this, others might not even know about him. However, if you think it is Football that has let him earn all this wealth, then it might not actually be true. In fact, he is the only son of the Prince of Brunei, Jefri Bolkiah. His uncle, also being the Sultan of Brunei, makes for rich family background. So yeah, it is pretty much evident where he has got such an immense inheritance from. Faiq was born in the USA and has played for major teams like Chelsea, Southampton, Arsenal, and Reading. He had joined Maritimo, which is a Portuguese team, in 2020 but later on left the team on a free transfer. Today he is the captain of the Brunei national football team.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo:
The person who you might have thought to be in the first place is actually in the second. But hey, it’s Cristiano Ronaldo! He is definitely most arguably the wealthiest player in the world right after Faiq Bolkiah. If you think he is only rich, then you are wrong as he is the best football players alive on earth! He has played for various European clubs, which includes Sporting CP, Man United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, where he is still going on with his career. He was ranked back in 2019 as the second richest player globally with an income of $109 million. Well, even before this title, he was also entitled as the third richest athlete in the world. Talk about a lifetime full of wealth! Also, if you think this is the only source of income he has, then you might want to read further. He has various endorsement deals with multinational brands lining up for him.
3. Lionel Messi:
Standing at the third position is none other than Lionel Messi. He is the captain and is the most known players in Barcelona FC. Definitely the football player that everyone loves to watch. He has scored some of the major goals making him stand out as the highest goal scorer in the world. Currently, his weekly salary ranges at 615, 000 pounds making him the highest-paid footballers in this planet. Forbes in 2019 also ranked him as the most paid athlete in the world.
4. Wayne Rooney:
Wayne Rooney can be called as the most unique player. Being the best striker in England, he is currently playing for an American club called DC United, which is located in Washington DC. He signed a deal with this club back in 2018, which is still going on. Having made so much money for himself over the past years, he now has an estimated worth of $160 million, making him the richest footballers. Just like other players, he also has some endorsement deals laid out for him from companies such as FIFA, Nokia, Adidas, and Coca Cola, to name a few.
5. Zlatan Ibrahimović:
You are a football lover; then you ought to know about Zlatan Ibrahimović. He is a Swedish footballer and is also one among the richest footballers in the world. He currently plays for AC Milan, prior to which he has also contributed to Barcelona, Juventus, and even Manchester United. He now has a wealth of about 3.5 million Euros as his salary per annum, apart from which he also earns as much as $10 million just from various endorsement deals that he has taken up. Various multinational companies have signed up with him including, Nike, Nivea, Microsoft Xbox, and Volvo. He has three expensive mansions along with some others in other parts of the world, which are collectively said to be above $15 million worth. He also has a bunch of some of the most luxurious cars, including Lamborghini, Ferrari Enzo, Maserati, and many more.
6. Neymar Jr.:
Neymar Jr. is without a doubt the youngest and the richest among the people in this list. He is said to be the most skillful athlete. He is ranked in the fifth position currently as the highest-paid football player with an income of about $95 million, from which a portion of $25 million comes through endorsements from various companies such as Panasonic, Air Jordan, L’Oréal, Nike, and even Pumas. He is currently playing as a winger in Paris-Saint German, before which he used to play for Barcelona. With a current net worth of $185 million, he stands fifth among the top ten players.
7. Andres Iniesta:
Andris Iniesta is said to be the best all-time midfielders and is also a legend in Barcelona FC. He now plays for Visel Kobe, a Japanese football club. When he used to play for Barcelona, he used to earn as much as $240,000 per week, which eventually summed up to $11.5 million per annum. He currently has the largest share in a Spanish club called Albacete Football Club, worth $400,000. He also owns a mansion in Spain, which is said to be worth $4 million. He also owns several other mansions and luxury cars as well.
8. Gareth Bale:
With a net worth of $125 million, he is definitely the wealthiest footballers in the world. Originally from Wales, Gareth Bale is the fastest players in the world. Back in 2013, he had joined Real Madrid and had a record transfer fee of 85 million pounds. He now plays for Tottenham Hotspur and earns millions of dollars from various endorsement deals. He is currently the captain of Wales national football team.
9. Eden Hazard:
Eden Hazard is also one among the highest-paid footballers. He is a professional football player hailing from Belgium and plays either as an attacking midfielder or a Real Madrid winder. He is also the captain of the Belgium national team. It was at the young age of four that he had started playing for his country. Even though he is not the wealthiest in the world, he is still young, and he still has quite some time to catch up to the title.
10. Ronaldinho:
Coming at the ninth position, Ronaldinho has a net worth of $100 million. Being a Brazilian player, he plays the role of the midfielder in Spanish club FC Barcelona. His current annual salary is worth $10 million with Barcelona. Apart from his current salary, he also earns a considerable amount through endorsements from companies such as Nike, Pepsi, and other companies. He also gets a sum of 25 million pounds in three years from AC Milan contracts.
Final Words:
That is all about the top 10 richest footballers in the world in 2021, and now you can choose your own football icon to whom you want to look up to in the future!