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Soccer is one of the most lucrative sports in the world. This sport boasts one of the most lucrative jobs one can think of in the history of sports ranging from management of the teams to actually playing on the field. Being a sport with high-salary numbers, soccer boasts one of the highest-paid sports players in the world and many of these rich players have converged in Qatar to play for their various countries at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Find out the 10 highest-paid soccer players in the world who got to play at the 2022 World Cup, ranked by their annual income from the field and from endorsement deals.
Antoine Griezmann - France ($29 Million)
A forward for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the France national team, Antoine Griezmann was born in France on March 21, 1991. He won many trophies and awards after joining Atlético Madrid from Real Sociedad in 2014. In 2016 and 2018, he received nominations for the Ballon d'Or and Best FIFA Men's Player awards. He joined rivals, Barcelona, and won a Copa del Rey before returning to Atlético Madrid on loan in 2021. Since Griezmann made his senior debut for France in 2014, he has played in over 110 international matches and his count keeps rising. He currently earns $29 million a year.
Kevin De Bruyne - Belgium ($29 Million)
Belgian professional footballer Kevin De Bruyne, born on June 28, 1991, competes for both the Belgium national team and Premier League club Manchester City as a midfielder with a yearly salary of $29 million. De Bruyne started his professional career with Genk and has played for other clubs including Chelsea, Werder Bremen, and Wolfsburg before joining Manchester City in the summer of 2015. Since then, he has helped the team to four Premier League titles, five League Cups, and an FA Cup. De Bruyne made his full debut for Belgium in 2010 and has since amassed over 90 caps and 25 goals.
Raheem Sterling - England ($29.4 Million)
A winger and attacking midfielder for Premier League club Chelsea and the England national team, Raheem Shaquille Sterling was born on December 8, 1994. He started his professional career with Queens Park Rangers before joining Liverpool in 2010. He was signed by Manchester City in July 2015 and he contributed to Manchester City's back-to-back Premier League win in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022 before moving to Chelsea in the 2022 transfer market. He currently gets paid $29.4 million per year. Sterling made his senior debut for England in 2012 and he was selected to represent England in the FIFA World Cups in 2014, 2018, and 2022.
Robert Lewandowski - Poland ($34 Million)
Robert Lewandowski, a Polish professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga Club Barcelona and captains the Poland national team, was born on August 21, 1988. For club and country, he has scored more than 500 goals in his senior career. Lewandowski has been playing for Poland since 2008 and has amassed over 130 caps. He is representing his country at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. and is Poland's all-time leading scorer with 77 goals. Lewandowski presently earns $34 million in a year on and off the field.
Eden Hazard - Belgium ($37.9 Million)
Eden Michael Walter Hazard, a professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Belgian national team, was born on January 7, 1991. In November 2008, Hazard earned his senior debut for the Belgian national team. Since then, he has played in almost 120 matches for Belgium. He has been Belgium's captain since 2015 and presently earns $37.9 million annually.
Gareth Bale - Wales ($43 Million)
Born on 16 July 1989, Gareth Frank Bale is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC and the Wales national team. Bale started his professional career at Southampton, transferred to Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, and played there until 2013 when he joined Real Madrid. He currently plays for Los Angeles, an MLS team. In May 2006, Bale made his senior international debut for Wales and he played a significant role in his country’s presence at the FIFA World Cup 2022. Yearly, Gareth Bale earns $43 million.
Neymar Jr. - Brazil ($91 Million)
Born as Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior on 5 February 1992, he is popularly known as Neymar. This professional footballer from Brazil plays forward for both the Brazil national team and Ligue 1 team Paris Saint-Germain. Neymar made his professional debut for Santos at the age of 17 before moving to Europe to join Barcelona. He had a successful stint at Barca, winning La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League before leaving for PSG in 2017 He currently earns $91 yearly.
Lionel Messi - Argentina ($110 Million)
A forward for Paris Saint-Germain and captain of the Argentina national team, Lionel Andrés Messi was born on June 24, 1987. Messi is recognized as one of the best players of all time and has won seven Ballon d'Or honors as well as six European Golden Boots. He played at Barcelona throughout his entire professional career until his departure to PSG in 2021, winning a club record 35 trophies, including ten La Liga championships, seven Copa del Rey championships, and four UEFA Champions Leagues. Messi has scored over 785 goals in his senior career for club and country and is one of the highest-paid soccer players in the world with a $110 million salary per year.
Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal ($113 Million)
Born on February 5, 1985, Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is a forward who plays professionally and captains Portugal. After a less-than-stellar tenure with Manchester United, he is currently a free agent. One of the best players of all time, he has many European player honors, including four European Golden Shoes and five Ballon d'Ors. In his career, he has won 32 trophies, including the UEFA European Championship, five UEFA Champions Leagues, and seven league championships. CR7 earns $113 million per year.
Kylian Mbappe - France ($125 Million)
The highest-paid soccer player on this list is Kylian Mbappé Lottin, a professional football player who represents both France's national team and Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. He was born on December 20, 1998, in Paris. Mbappé started his professional club career in 2015 by joining Monaco, where he won the Ligue 1 championship. In 2017, aged 18, Mbappé signed for Paris Saint-Germain and has since won various trophies for the team. He made his senior international debut for France in 2017 at the age of 18 and became the second teen, after Pelé, to score in a World Cup Final at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which France won, making history as the youngest French player to do so. He currently earns $125 million in a year.
Sources: Soccer Souls, Give Me Sports, and Planet Football.