Top Highest Paid Soccer Players in 2025
As of 2025, the highest salary for soccer players is held by Cristiano Ronaldo, whose reported annual earnings exceed 260 million euros, including his salary and commercial income, according to Forbes. He joined Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League in January 2023, and his contract is widely cited as the largest in football history. His base salary alone is estimated at over 200 million euros per year, making him the top earner in the sport.
Other players in the highest salary tier include Lionel Messi, whose move to Inter Miami in 2023 brought a reported annual package of roughly 130 million dollars, and Neymar, whose Paris Saint-Germain contract before his 2023 transfer to Al Hilal included a salary near 90 million euros per year. These figures reflect a shift in global football economics, with Middle Eastern clubs offering record wages to attract elite talent.