For the first time in eight years, neither Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo was able to top Forbes' list of the highest-paid footballers, with Kylian Mbappe ascending the throne to end the duopoly. It is estimated that the French superstar will earn a gross salary of $128 million for the 2022-23 season, a record for the magazine's annual ranking of the world's highest-paid soccer players.
Mbappe's rise has been meteoric and ahead of the 2022-23 season, the former AS Monaco wonderkid was elevated to even higher heights. Back in May the 22-year-old striker ended speculations of his purported dream move to Real Madrid by signing a lucrative three-year contract extension to remain at Paris-Saint Germain.
According to Forbes, the deal now puts the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner above both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of earnings when agent fees are subtracted. The top three are, however, completed by the pair with the former set to earn an estimated sum of $120M while the Manchester United star will also take home at least $100M at the end of the season.
Mbappe's PSG attacking partner Neymar Jr and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah are the other two players who feature in the top five with an estimated $87M and $53M respectively. Manchester City's Erling Haaland joins Mbappe as the only players aged under 30 that are on the list. The former Borussia Dortmund star together with Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah, and Kevin de Bruyne are the only four Premier League players in the top 10.
The Forbes list includes base salary and bonuses in addition to estimates for image rights, endorsements, and other items like player-owned businesses.
