Highest Earning Footballers 2022: Neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo, this young star of FIFA World Cup 2022 earned the most this season!

1) Kylian Mbappe - Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and France
Salary, perks and other on-pitch earnings = $ 110 million
Income from endorsements and other off-pitch sources = $ 18 million.

The 23-year-old Frenchman's protracted contract saga with his club Paris Saint Germain was the talk of the town this year. A prodigious talent, Mbappe was being courted by elite clubs like Real Madrid and other who's who of footballing royalty. He had dropped feelers towards Real's President Florentino Perez and the move to Santiago Bernebeu looked all but done. However, PSG's Qatar ownership literally opened the coffers to keep Mbappe in Paris. Whhich explains why his on-field salary — an eye-watering $ 110 million — is almost twice as much as the next footballer on the list.

(Pic: PTI Photo)

2) Lionel Messi - Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and Argentina
Salary, perks and other on-pitch earnings = $ 65 million
Income from endorsements and other off-pitch sources = $ 55 million

Mbappe's clubmate and all-time great Lionel Messi takes the second spot on the list. He was already the go-to face for advertisers and marketers, but his stellar show at the World Cup in Qatar has raised his stakes even higher! Apart from Cristiano Ronaldo, no other footballer on the planet comes close to Messi's marketing potential.

(Pic: Reuters)

3) Cristiano Ronaldo - Ex-Manchester United and Portugal
Salary, perks and other on-pitch earnings = $ 40 million
Income from endorsements and other off-pitch sources = $ 60 million

Cristiano Ronaldo's return to boyhood club Manchester United for one last hurrah may have ended in a bitter separation, but that didn't stop the Portugese star from pocketing almost $ 40 million as salary and taking the third spot on this list. Currently club-less, the player is reportedly being courted by clubs with deep pockets in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. Now a free agent, we can safely expect his on-field salary to scale newer heights in the next season.

(Pic: Reuters)

4) Neymar Jr - Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and Brazil
Salary, perks and other on-pitch earnings = $ 55 million
Income from endorsements and other off-pitch sources = $ 32 million

Messi and Mbappe's fellow club player Neymar has shown immense marketability in the recent years. Apart from $ 55 million in salary this year, he also bagged in a hefty $ 32 million from endorsements.

(Pic: PTI)

5) Mohamed Salah - Liverpool FC and Egypt
Salary, perks and other on-pitch earnings = $ 35 million
Income from endorsements and other off-pitch sources = $ 18 million

The fifth spot on this list is taken by Mohamed Salah of Liverpool FC. Egypt's absence from the FIFA World Cup 2022 meant that his presence on billboards was scantier than the others on this list, but $ 35 million in salary secured him a place among the Richie Richs of football. 

(Pic: Reuters)

Source: Forbes Ranking 2022