STATIONS
  • All Music Stations
  • All News & Talk Stations
  • All Sports Stations
 
  • Stations by City
  • All Stations
Partners
  • Fox News
  • CBS News
  • NBC News
Music
  • All Music Stations
  • Music News
  • Pop
  • Alternative
  • Latino
 
  • Country
  • Rock
  • Classic Rock
  • Hip-Hop and R&B
EVENTS
  • LIVE Performances
NEWS
  • All News Stations
  • Latino News
 
  • NBC News
  • Fox News
  • CBS News
Sports
  • All Sports Stations
  • Sports News
  • NFL
  • MLB
  • NBA
  • NHL
 
  • NCAA Football
  • Sports Betting
Originals
  • Baseball Isn’t Boring
  • Reception Perception
  • Kickoff with Boomer
BetQL Network
  • Listen Live
  • Watch Live
  • BetMGM The Daily Tip
  • BetQL Daily
  • BetMGM Tonight
All Podcasts
  • The Sunshine Place
  • Gone South
  • Fly on the Wall
  • We Can Do Hard Things
  • Impolitic with John Heile
 
  • Otherworld
  • The Moth
  • Office Ladies
  • Gets Interesting
  • History That Doesn’t Suck
 
  • High Strange
  • Search Engine
  • Start Here
  • Jill on Money
  • Baseball Isn’t Boring
 
  • Tony Kornheiser Show
  • Fantasy Football Today
  • Fantasy Baseball Today
  • Cash The Ticket
  • You Better You Bet
 
  • Go Birds
  • Battleground America
  • On Deadline
Where to Listen
  • About Audacy
  • Get the Audacy App
  • More Ways to Listen
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
  • FAQ
  • Find Us on X
  • Contact Customer Support
STAY IN TOUCH
  • Follow Us on Social
  • Advertise With Us
More from Audacy
  • #ImListening
  • 1Thing
  • Contests
  • Contest Rules
  • All Music Stations
  • All News & Talk Stations
  • All Sports Stations
  • Stations by City
  • All Stations
  • Fox News
  • CBS News
  • NBC News
  • All Music Stations
  • Music News
  • Pop
  • Alternative
  • Latino
  • Country
  • Rock
  • Classic Rock
  • Hip-Hop and R&B
  • LIVE Performances
  • All News Stations
  • Latino News
  • NBC News
  • Fox News
  • CBS News
  • All Sports Stations
  • Sports News
  • NFL
  • MLB
  • NBA
  • NHL
  • NCAA Football
  • Sports Betting
  • Baseball Isn’t Boring
  • Reception Perception
  • Kickoff with Boomer
  • Listen Live
  • Watch Live
  • BetMGM The Daily Tip
  • BetQL Daily
  • BetMGM Tonight
  • The Sunshine Place
  • Gone South
  • Fly on the Wall
  • We Can Do Hard Things
  • Impolitic with John Heile
  • Otherworld
  • The Moth
  • Office Ladies
  • Gets Interesting
  • History That Doesn’t Suck
  • High Strange
  • Search Engine
  • Start Here
  • Jill on Money
  • Baseball Isn’t Boring
  • Tony Kornheiser Show
  • Fantasy Football Today
  • Fantasy Baseball Today
  • Cash The Ticket
  • You Better You Bet
  • Go Birds
  • Battleground America
  • On Deadline
  • About Audacy
  • Get the Audacy App
  • More Ways to Listen
  • FAQ
  • Find Us on X
  • Contact Customer Support
  • Follow Us on Social
  • Advertise With Us
  • #ImListening
  • 1Thing
  • Contests
  • Contest Rules
97.1 The Ticket logo
    • Complete Schedule
    • Costa & Jansen with Heather
    • Karsch and Anderson
    • The Mike Valenti Show with Rico
    • Wojo & Riger
    • Tigers How-To-Listen
    • Detroit Lions How To Listen
    • Redwings How-To-Listen
    • Costa & Jansen with Heather
    • Karsch and Anderson
    • The Valenti Show with Rico
    • Wojo & Riger
    • Cash The Ticket
    • Contractor Therapy Podcast
    • 5 Star Zone with Rico Beard and Howard Griffith
    • Restore The Floor
    • Bustin' Balls with Pat Caputo
    • Necessary Roughness with Lang & Jansen
    • KHANG Collects!
    • The Detroit Football Network Podcast
    • All Videos
    • Livestream Video
    • YouTube Channel
    • Twitch
    • Detroit Lions
    • Detroit Pistons
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Detroit Tigers
    • Michigan State University
    • University of Michigan
    • Sports Betting
    • Like us on Facebook
    • Follow us on Instagram
    • Follow us on YouTube
    • Follow us on Twitter
    • Top Stories
    • Entertainment News
    • Sign Up for the Club
    • Weather
    • Traffic
    • 1thing Sustainability
    • Student Heart Check
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contests
    • Contests Rules
    • Events
    • Photo Galleries
  • audio from 97.1 The Ticket

    • Live
    • Podcasts
  • Ask your smart speaker to play

    Ninety Seven One The Ticket

Home
97.1 The Ticket
Sports 2021 Richest Soccer (Football) Players, Ranked by Net Worth

2021 Richest Soccer (Football) Players, Ranked by Net Worth

75756A5E-120A-4932-810C-2FD980DB785E
By Tim Kelly, Audacy Sports
97.1 The Ticket
Updated on

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of the greatest soccer players to ever live, having combined to win the coveted Ballon d'Or 11 times.

Which of the two living legends has turned their prowess on the pitch into a larger financial empire? Here, courtesy of Celebrity Net Worth, are the 10 richest soccer players in the world for the 2021 season, including Ronaldo and Messi:

Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta is one of the best soccer players in the. world. Photo credit (Simon Holmes/Getty Images)

10. Andrés Iniesta: $120 Million

Iniesta, now 37, inked a new two-year contract extension with the Japanese club Vissel Kobe in May. Iniesta, of course, made his name during his 16-season run with Barcelona, a period in which he scored 35 goals and added 65 assists.

Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba is one of the richest soccer players in the world. Photo credit (Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

9. Paul Pogba: $125 Million

At the time of publication, Pogba is in the final year of a five-year/$88.49 million deal with Manchester United. The 28-year-old -- who has also previously played for Juventus -- has 28 goals and 29 assists over the course of his current contract.

Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale is one of the richest soccer players in the world. Photo credit (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

7(tie). Gareth Bale: $145 Million

A four-time Champions League champion, Bale is known for his success as a goal scorer for Tottenham and Real Madrid. Now 32, Bale has 139 career goals and 72 assists in his domestic career.

Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney is a Manchester United legend. Photo credit (Dave Thompson/Getty Images)

7 (tie). Wayne Rooney: $145 Million

Rooney spent the overwhelming majority of his domestic career with Manchester United, scoring 183 goals in 13 season for the Premier League giant. Now 35, Rooney is currently the manager of Derby County.

Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimović is one of the best players of his era. Photo credit (Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

6. Zlatan Ibrahimović: $190 Million

One of the great personalities in the sport, Ibrahimović is entering his third season with AC Milan, after two seasons in the MLS with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Ibrahimović has been something of a mercenary during his two decades in the sport, but the 39-year-old has scored wherever he's played at, with 383 career goals.

Neymar Jr.
Neymar Jr. is one of the most talented soccer players in the world. Photo credit (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

5. Neymar Jr.: $200 Million

After four seasons with Barcelona, Neymar is now entering his fifth season with Paris-Saint German, where he'll be reunited with Lionel Messi. Neymar's team had to pay in excess of $260 million for him to be released from his Barcelona contract in August of 2017, paving the way for him to join PSG. Now 29, Neymar has 56 goals and 31 assists in 70 matches with PSG.

David Beckham
David Beckham had a storied soccer career. Photo credit (Shaun Botterill/Allsport/Getty Images)

4. David Beckham: $450 Million

Beckham is a mogul in the sport, having won 10 domestic league championships during his 19-year playing career. Beckham is part of the ownership group and currently serves as the president of soccer operations for Inter Miami CF, who joined the MLS in 2020. For good measure, his wife, Victoria, is also estimated to be worth $450 million.

Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest soccer players ever. Photo credit (Enrico Locci/Getty Images)

3. Cristiano Ronaldo: $500 Million

Having previously played for Sporting CP, Manchester United and Real Madrid, the 36-year-old is entering his fourth season with Juventus. Having already established himself as one of the most dominant scorers in both the Premier League and La Liga, Ronaldo has 81 goals in his first three seasons in Series A.

Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is one of the greatest soccer players ever. Photo credit (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

2. Lionel Messi: $600 Million

As part of his new contract with Paris Saint-Germain, ESPN reported that Messi will earn "between $35 and $41 million" per year on a two-year pact that includes an option for a third year. This comes after the Argentinian star scored 474 goals and added in 193 assists in 17 seasons with Barcelona.

Meet "the world's richest footballer"💰:

⚽ Faiq Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei’s nephew
🐅 Practised skills with pet tiger and met the Queen
👮 Security when captaining Brunei U23https://t.co/oEQUejExir@RobTannerLCFC, @jacklang, @AdamCrafton_, @liam_twomey, @dansheldonsport

— The Athletic UK (@TheAthleticUK) December 3, 2020

1. Faiq Bolkiah: $20 Billion

Here's a wild card. It turns out that neither Ronaldo or Messi is the richest soccer player in the world, because they don't come from a royal family. Bolkiah, 23, currently plays for Marítimo in Portugal.

Related

11 Richest NBA Players - Ranked by 2021 Net Worth
11 Richest NBA Players - Ranked by 2021 Net Worth

Related

Cristiano Ronaldo costs Coke $4 billion after removing bottles during press conference
Cristiano Ronaldo costs Coke $4 billion after removing bottles during press conference

Related

Projecting 2021's Richest NFL Teams and their revenue by 2025
Projecting 2021's Richest NFL Teams and their revenue by 2025

LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

  • Audacy Sports Gallery
  • lionel messi
  • Cristiano Ronaldo
  • David Beckham

LATEST in sports

  • Jared Goff on Lions' dropping odds: "I like being on this side of it more when they doubt us"
  • Lions OL coach Hank Fraley: "We can block everything"
  • "Fearless forward:" Grant Stuard voted captain in first season with Lions
  • Packers, Parsons new favorites in NFC North. Dan Campbell: "To each their own"
  • Michigan State to host Arkansas in November at the Breslin Center
×
97.1 The Ticket  |  
Detroit Sports Talk All Day
  1. Listen to 97.1 The Ticket
  2. Contact Us
  3. Sign Up for the Club
  4. EEO
  5. Public Inspection File
  6. Contest Rules
  7. FCC Applications
  8. Advertise with Us
© 2025 Audacy, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PART OF AUDACY SPORTS.

listen

  • Listen Live
  • Mobile App

connect

  • FAQ
  • 1Thing
  • Get My PERKS
  • #ImListening
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertise with Us
  • Audacy Corporate Site

legal

  • Careers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Copyright Notice
  • Music Submission Policy
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Info
  • Public File Help
© 2025 Audacy, Inc. All rights reserved. Part of Audacy.
!