Forbes has revealed the top 10 footballers in the world in terms of annual earnings.
The World Magazine’s financial and economic information showed that Paris Saint-Germain striker and French international Kylian Mbappe is the highest annual earner in 2022.
The Frenchman (23) earns total of $110 million a year in playing salaries for his team, Paris Saint-Germain, while he receives $18 million from annual sponsorship contracts off the field, with total annual earnings of $128 million, and this figure is pre-tax and agent fees.
The French striker is followed by his team partner, the Argentine legend, Lionel Messi, who receives total earnings of $120 million per year.
Portuguese legend and Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo came in third place with total annual earnings of $100 million.
The Paris Saint-Germain stars continued to be at the top of the list by placing Brazilian striker Neymar in fourth place with total annual earnings of $87 million.
Egyptian star and Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah came in fifth with a total of $53 million annual earnings, followed by Norwegian scoring machine and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland with a total of $39 million.
Forbes explained that Haaland receives $4 million annually from sponsors in 2022, but this figure is expected to rise extremely with reports claiming that the player could receive a boot deal worth up to $18 million a year, when his current deal with Nike expires this year.
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski was seventh with a total of $35 million, while Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard was eighth with $31 million.
Spanish legend Andrés Iniesta (38) was ninth with a total of $30 million, while Belgium’s international and Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne concluded the list with a total of $29 million annual earnings.