LONDON, England – There are a few unexpected names towards the top of this list, but the regular suspects are still there because of their continued superstardom. Both on the pitch and when it comes to dealings off it.

The top ten soccer players in the world according to a study that looked at sponsorship deals and paid for the best players on the planet. 

The figures, which are based on earnings for the 2022–23 season, are staggering. 

Top 10 soccer players in the world by salary as of September 2022

1. Kylian Mbappe = $125 million total ($105 million salary + $20 million endorsements)

A forward for both the France national team and Ligue 1 Club Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian Mbappé Lottin is a French professional football player. Mbappé, who is regarded as one of the best players in the world and is supposedly the highest-paid, is known for his excellent dribbling skills, pace, and finishing

Born: December 20, 1998 (age 23 years), 19th arrondissement of Paris, Paris, France

Height: 1.78 m

Nationality: French

Weight: 73 kg

Current teams: Paris Saint-Germain F.C. (#7 / Forward), France national football team (#10 / Forward)

2. Cristiano Ronaldo = $113 million ($53 million salary + $60 million endorsements)

Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH ComM plays forward for Premier League Club Manchester United and captains the Portugal team. 

Born: February 5, 1985 (age 37 years), Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça, Funchal, Portugal

Career start: 1992

Height: 1.87 m

Current team: Portugal national football team (#7 / Forward)

3. Lionel Messi = $110 million ($62 million salary + $48 million endorsements)

Leo Messi, commonly known as Lionel Andrés Messi, is an Argentine professional football player who heads the Argentina national team in addition to playing forward for Ligue 1 Club Paris Saint-Germain. 

Born: June 24, 1987 (age 35 years), Rosario, Argentina

Height: 1.69 m

Shoe size: 10

Spouse: Antonela Roccuzzo (m. 2017)

Salary: 41 million USD (2022)

Current teams: Paris Saint-Germain F.C. (#30 / Forward), Argentina national football team (#10 / Forward)

4. Neymar = $91 million ($56 million salary + $35 million endorsements)

Neymar, also known as Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, is a Brazilian-born professional footballer who plays forward for both the Brazil national team and Ligue 1 team Paris Saint-Germain. 

Born: February 5, 1992 (age 30 years), Mogi das Cruzes, State of São Paulo, Brazil

Full name: Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior

Height: 1.75 m

Salary: 40.8 million GBP (2022)

Children: Davi Lucca

Current teams: Paris Saint-Germain F.C. (#10 / Forward), Brazil national football team (#10 / Forward), Brazil

5. Mohamed Salah = $39.5 million ($24.5 million salary + $15 million endorsements)

A forward for Premier League side Liverpool, Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly is an Egyptian-born professional football player who also serves as captain of the Egypt national team. 

Born: June 15, 1992 (age 30 years), Nagrig, Egypt

Height: 1.75 m

Salary: 18.2 million GBP (2023)

Spouse: Magi Sadeq (m. 2013), Magi Salah (m. 2013)

Current teams: Liverpool F.C. (#11 / Forward), Egypt national football team (#10 / Forward)

Awards: Premier League Golden Boot

6. Eden Hazard = $31.3 million ($28.6 million salary + $2.5 million endorsements)

Belgium’s national team is captained by Belgian professional footballer Eden Michael Hazard, who plays as a winger or offensive midfielder for the Spanish club Real Madrid. One of the best players of his time, Hazard is renowned for his inventiveness, dribbling, passing, and vision. 

Born: January 7, 1991 (age 31 years), La Louvière, Belgium

Height: 1.75 m

Nationality: Belgian

Spouse: Natacha Van Honacker (m. 2012)

Salary: 20 million GBP (2021)

Current teams: Belgium national football team (#10 / Forward), Real Madrid CF (#7 / Forward)

Awards: Devil of the Year award, PFA Players’ Player of the Year, FIFA FIFPro World XI, Best Belgian Player in a Foreign League

7. Andres Iniesta = $30 million ($23 million salary + $7 million endorsements)

The captain of J1 League team Vissel Kobe is professional Spanish footballer Andrés Iniesta Luján, who plays as a midfielder. Iniesta, who is regarded as one of the best midfielders of all time, has spent the majority of his career with Barcelona, where he captained the team for three seasons. 

Born: May 11, 1984 (age 38 years), Fuentealbilla, Spain

Current team: Vissel Kobe (#8 / Midfielder)

Salary: 30 million USD (2021)

Spouse: Anna Ortiz (m. 2012)

Children: Valeria Iniesta Ortiz, Paolo Andrea Iniesta Ortiz, Siena Iniesta Ortiz

Books: The Artist: Being Iniesta

8. Raheem Sterling = $29.4 million ($21.4 million salary + $8 million endorsements)

English footballer Raheem Shaquille Sterling MBE competes for Premier League club Chelsea and the England national team as a winger and offensive midfielder. Sterling, who was born in Jamaica to Jamaican parents, went to London when he was five years old. 

Born: December 8, 1994 (age 27 years), Kingston, Jamaica

Height: 1.7 m

Parents: Nadine Sterling

Current teams: Chelsea F.C. (#17 / Forward), England national football team (#10 / Forward)

Children: Thiago Sterling, Melody Rose Sterling, Thai-Cruz Sterling

Nationality: English, Jamaican

9. Kevin de Bruyne = $29 million ($25.5 million salary + $3.5 million endorsements)

Belgian-born Kevin De Bruyne is a midfielder for Premier League team Manchester City as well as the Belgium national team. He is widely considered as one of the greatest players of his generation and the entire world. He has frequently been referred to as a “complete footballer” by pundits. 

Born: June 28, 1991 (age 31 years), Drongen, Ghent, Belgium

Height: 1.81 m

Spouse: Michele Lacroix (m. 2017)

Salary: 20.8 million GBP (2021)

Dates joined: 2015 (Manchester City F.C.), 2014 (VfL Wolfsburg), MORE

Current teams: Manchester City F.C. (#17 / Midfielder), Belgium national football team (#7 / Midfielder)

10. Antoine Griezmann = $27.5 million ($22 million salary + $5.5 million endorsements)

A forward for La Liga club Atlético Madrid while on loan from Barcelona, Antoine Griezmann also competes for France at the international level. 

Born: March 21, 1991 (age 31 years), Mâcon, France

Height: 1.76 m

Career start: 1997

Spouse: Erika Choperena (m. 2017)

Current teams: France national football team (#7 / Forward), Atlético de Madrid (#8 / Forward)