Who are the richest soccer players?
Who are the richest soccer players in the world? Well, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will come into everyone’s mind immediately. However, there are many other names that the fans are less likely to have heard of and below we have included them all.
1- David Beckham the richest soccer player in the world
David Beckham is the richest soccer player in the world. His net worth is said to be around $670 million. The former player is currently the president and the co-owner of Inter Miami who play in Major League Soccer.
Career
Beckham started his senior career at Manchester United, earning his professional debut at the age of 17. His stint at Old Trafford was enormously successful. He lifted six Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy in 1999. However, the amazing player left for Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2003. He also has the distinction of playing for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy. Beckham ended his football career at Paris Saint-Germain in 2013.
David has also the distinction of representing England at three World Cups. He made 115 appearances for the Three Lions, with 17 goals to his name.
2- Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Almost every football fan is sure to have heard of his name. And there is a huge number of people who are always providing reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi.
Career
Starting his career at Sporting CP, the star footballer earned a big move to Manchester United in 2003. He established a huge name for himself over the years at Old Trafford. Besides winning several domestic trophies, the Portuguese star also lifted his first Champions League with the Red Devils.
His extraordinary talent convinced Real Madrid to part with a record sum to secure his signature in 2009. Ronaldo won 15 trophies at the Santiago Bernabeu, including two La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues. The 37-year-old bagged more successes when he joined Juventus in 2018.
With a net worth of around $500 million, according to therichest.com, Ronaldo is currently second on our list of the richest soccer players of all time. It is said that the Portuguese star has made over $1 billion in earnings before taxes. This makes him the first sports athlete to achieve that feat. He also boasts a great following on social media.
3- Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. He is also one of the richest soccer players in the world.
Career
Messi has spent almost his entire career at Barcelona. A product of the famous La Masia academy, the Argentine made his competitive debut when he was only 17. He established himself as a key player for the Catalans over the following years. His stint at Camp Nou was hugely successful. He won an incredible 35 trophies, which include ten La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies. Also, the Argentine lifted seven Copa del Rey titles with the Spanish outfit.
Messi also has the distinction of winning seven Ballon d’Or awards. He joined Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021.
According to therichest.com, Lionel Messi is the third richest soccer player with a net worth of $400 million.
4- Dave Whelan
Dave Whelan is an English businessman and former footballer. He started his senior career at Blackburn Rovers where he made 78 league appearances between 1956 and 1960. The English footballer then joined Crewe Alexandra where he clocked up 115 league appearances between 1962 and 1966. He then retired to fully concentrate on growing his business.
Dave Whelan is the former owner of club Wigan Athletic. He also remained the chairman of the club for twenty years before his grandson David Sharpe took the position.
According to therichest.com website, Dave Whelan’s net worth is around $210 million. That makes him the fourth richest soccer player in the world.
5- Neymar
Neymar is also widely regarded as one of the best footballers in the world. He currently plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, which is one of the richest football clubs.
Career
Neymar started his senior career at Brazilian side Santos, earning his professional debut at 17. His performances attracted the attention of Barcelona who signed him in 2013. His reputation enormously grew in Spain, where he won several trophies. The Brazilian star won the continental treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in 2014-15. He then achieved a domestic double in the 2015-16 season.
The immensely talented forward joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 in a move worth €222 million.
The Brazil international’s net worth is said to be around $185 million, which makes him the fifth richest soccer player in the world.
6- Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney is one of the biggest names in English football. He is currently serving as the manager of Derby County.
Career
Rooney began his football career at Everton where he progressed through the youth ranks to earn his professional debut at 16. His amazing performances for the Toffees caught the attention of Manchester United who signed him in 2004.
The Liverpool-born footballer became hugely successful at Old Trafford. He won an incredible 16 trophies at the Red Devils. The talented forward scored 253 total goals for the Manchester side, thus becoming their top goalscorer of all time. He also has the distinction of being the Premier League’s second-top scorer of all time.
Wayne Rooney’s net worth is said to be around $160 million.
7- Alexandre Pato
Alexandre Pato is also one of the richest soccer players in the world. His net worth is reportedly around $145 million.
Pato began his football career at Brazilian outfit Internacional, earning his senior debut at just 16. He led his side to win the FIFA Club World Cup in 2006.
Italian giants AC Milan signed him in the summer of 2007. He won the Golden Boy and Serie A Young Footballer of the Year awards in 2009.
The 32-year-old returned to Brazil in 2013 and joined Corinthians. The talented forward also has the distinction of playing for Sao Paulo, Villarreal and Tianjin Tianhai. He is currently on the books of Major League Soccer side Orlando City.
8- Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti is regarded as one of the greatest Italian players of all time. He is also one of the richest soccer players in the world, with his net worth estimated to be over $100 million.
Totti spent his whole career at Serie A side Roma. He joined the youth ranks of the club in 1989 and earned his senior debut when he was only 16. During his time at La Lupa, the versatile footballer won a Serie A title, two Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. He made an incredible 785 appearances for Roma, scoring 307 goals and creating 186 assists.
Totti has the distinction of being the top goalscorer and the most capped player in Roma’s history.
9- Pele
Pele is widely regarded as one of the best soccer players of all time. He is labelled ‘the greatest’ by FIFA. The Brazilian star was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics.
Career
Pele started playing for Santos when he was only 15. Between 1956 and 1974, he made over 600 league appearances for the Brazilian outfit, scoring an incredible 618 goals. He also played for the American club New York Cosmos for a brief period.
Pele was enormously successful for the Brazil national side. The star forward won three World Cups with the Selecao, which makes him the only player in history to do so. He also has the distinction of being the all-time leading goalscorer for Brazil with 77 goals to his name.
Pele is also one of the richest soccer players in the world, with his net worth said to be around $100 million.
10- Philipp Lahm
Philipp Lahm is one of the greatest names in German football. He is widely regarded as one of the best full-backs of all time.
Lahm played most of his career at Bayern Munich, where he achieved huge success. He made an incredible 332 league appearances for the German giants between 2002 and 2017. He led the Bayern side to the 2013 Champions League defeating league rivals Borussia Dortmund in the final.
Philipp Lahm was also included in the World Cup team of the tournament in 2006, 2010 and 2014. He made 113 appearances for the Germany national team with five goals to his name.
As per therichest.com, Lahm is said to have a $100 million net worth.
11- Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard is also a big name in the world of football. He is regarded as one of the best players of his generation.
Hazard started his career at Lille before joining Chelsea in 2012. He clocked up 245 league appearances for the Pensioners, with 85 goals to his name. The talented winger won the Premier League title as well as the Europa League and the FA Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge. His amazing performances attracted the attention of Real Madrid who signed him in 2019.
Eden Hazard is also one of the richest soccer players in the world, having an estimated net worth of $100 million.
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