The 2022 World Cup’s Highest-Paid Players

French star Kylian Mbappé dominates while Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo chase international glory one last time.

KJulian Mbappé, the highest paid soccer player in the world, is no stranger to the World Cup. Just four years ago, he helped France win the tournament for the first time since 1998. The team that came out for the 19-year-old, was named the best young player than the conference hosted by Russia. .

Qatar 2022 could be the place for the now 23-year-old star, ushering in a new wave of fame and, perhaps, a bigger payday.

“Mbappé’s influence on the world stage will be very high, especially with the EA Sports team, his salary. [with Nike] and everything related to that,” said Rossi Biddle, the owner of the sports marketing agency XtraTimeFC, talking about his sponsors. He added that Mbappé, the athlete of EA Sports’ FIFA 23 The video game is the style of the World Cup, and if France does well, the interest of the supporters will increase.

With 3.6 billion people tuning in for the final World Cup in 2018, the event will provide an unrivaled showcase for the stars of the world game. In 64 matches, the tournament posted an average of 191 million. (FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in May that he expects 5 billion viewers for the 2022 tournament.) As a result, the awards will be included in the World Cup, and the players , says Biddle, there is little barrier to entry on the advocacy side of the event. . The deeper the country’s progress, the greater the awareness of its star players.

Now, Mbappé is one of the most financially successful athletes in the sport. Forbes estimate he gets it $128 million for the 2022-23 season before taxes and consumer fees. Thanks to a three-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain, he will be paid $110 million between his salary and a portion of his signing bonus this season, according to industry experts. Mbappé earns over $18 million a year from endorsements, including deals with Nike, Dior, Hublot, Oakley, Panini, EA Sports and Sorare.

While Mbappé looks to add a second World Cup win to his resume, two of the game’s biggest stars are still chasing their first, and possibly last, time. Argentina’s Lionel Messi, 35, has announced that 2022 will be his last World Cup. The same is expected of Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who will turn 38 in February.

Together, the two have scored hundreds of goals, won 12 Ballons d’Or and many titles, including the UEFA Champions League. But the glory of the World Cup is gone from them. The two highest-paid players in soccer have earned more than $1 billion each in their careers, and both are expected to reach the nine-time mark in total revenue this year, with Messi reportedly earning $120 million including endorsements. and Ronaldo at $100 million.

For Ronaldo, though, the end may be closer than expected. His behavior and performance with Manchester United have been criticized this season. Ronaldo, who is said to have been looking for a transfer last season, managed to get into his club’s first team and clash with United manager Erik Ten Hag. In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo criticized United, the Glazer family and Ten Hag, saying, “If you don’t respect me, I will never respect you.”

His decline in playing time did not diminish his popularity. Ronaldo is the highest paid soccer player off the pitch at $60 million, according to reports Forbes estimates, and partners include Nike, Herbalife and Livescore. (The only other player close is Messi at $55 million.) In July, Ronaldo agreed to an exclusive, multi-year deal with crypto exchange Binance, and launched his first NFT collection. on Friday. He is also the most popular player account on Instagram, with 497 million followers.

The five most expensive stars playing in Qatar are two other veteran stars in Brazil Neymar Jr. and Robert Lewandowski of Poland. Although he is only 30 years old, Neymar has said that 2022 could be his last World Cup, and if Brazil wins, he will have a chance to go on top. Meanwhile, Lewandowski, 34, has been on fire since joining FC Barcelona for over $45 million earlier this year, scoring 18 goals in 18 starts. . He is expected to collect $35 million this year, including $8 million from the floor.

In total, the five highest-paid players in the World Cup are expected to earn $452 million this year, $173 million off the field, according to Forbes estimate. If one of them is really successful, they can pay their money not only through more guarantees but also with money, although on a smaller scale. France won $38 million for winning in 2018 and distributed $11 million among 23 players, an average salary of about $480,000. FIFA will provide $440 million in funding for Qatar 2022, with the winners taking home $42 million.

Who is the target audience, XtraTimeFC’s Biddle has one theory. “I think people want to have another Ronaldo season,” he said, “Football fans love Messi, soccer fans love Neymar, but outside of the They don’t care about the average person, Ronaldo is there.”

2022 WORLD CUP HIGHEST PAID PEOPLE

#1. $128 million

Kylian Mbappé

^{AGE: 23 | COUNTRY: France | ABOVE: $110 million • LOCATION: $18 million}

#2. $120 million

Leo Messi

^{AGE: 35 | COUNTRY: Argentina | ABOVE: $65 million • LOCATION: $55 million}