Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has topped the Forbes list for highest-earning footballers in 2020.
Forbes estimated Messi’s yearly earnings at $126m (£97.2m) with Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo second on $117m (£90.3m).
Neymar was in third with Paris St-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe fourth.
Three Premier League players – Mohamed Salah, Paul Pogba and David de Gea – made the top 10, as did Real Madrid and Wales forward Gareth Bale.
Welshman Bale came eighth in the list at $29m (£22.4m) despite a disappointing 2019-20 season, on a personal level, which saw him fall out with Real boss Zinedine Zidane and only feature in two of his club’s last 14 matches of the campaign.
Liverpool forward Salah was fifth, ahead of Manchester United midfielder Pogba in sixth, with United goalkeeper De Gea in 10th.
Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann was seventh and Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski was ninth.
The top three were in the same order as in 2019, although Mbappe rose three places from seventh to fourth.
Argentine Messi, 33, tried to leave Barcelona this summer and submitted a transfer request in August, but decided to stay because no club would be able to afford his release clause.
Forbes list of highest earning footballers
- Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina) $126m (£97.2m)
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus and Portugal) $117m (£90.3m)
- Neymar (Paris St-Germain and Brazil) $96m (£74.1m)
- Kylian Mbappe (Paris St-Germain and France) $42m (£32.4m)
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool and Egypt) $37m (£28.5m)
- Paul Pogba (Manchester United and France) $34m (£26.2m)
- Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona and France) $33m (£25.5m)
- Gareth Bale (Real Madrid and Wales) $29m (£22.4m)
- Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich and Poland) $28m (£21.6m)
- David de Gea (Manchester United and Spain) £27m (£20.8m)
Latest Stories
-
Help comes to market women and farmers as CSJ tackles credit barriers, protection gaps at upcoming summit
5 minutes -
50-year-old woman dies after falling into abandoned mining pit at Mpasatia
10 minutes -
Accra Bar Show 2025 launched to celebrate Ghana’s hospitality and drinks industry
15 minutes -
Mahama directs Road Ministry to prioritise roads under the Big Push initiative
17 minutes -
JoyNews journalist Carlos Carlony recounts Military assault at McDan warehouse demolition site
22 minutes -
Former MIIF CEO stopped at Airport over unauthorised travel attempt while on OSP bail
26 minutes -
Christian Council of Ghana raises alarm over escalating violence in Bawku
37 minutes -
NSMQ 2025: Prempeh’s zonal title drought continues as ‘Our Lady of Grace’ reaches finals
41 minutes -
Titus Glover links McDan warehouse demolition to alleged personal feud with EOCO head, Raymond Archer
45 minutes -
#FellowGhanaians: Joy Prime’s Kwaku Asante calls for abolition of trainee allowances
49 minutes -
Overloading penalty increased to GH₵50,000 – Roads Minister
60 minutes -
WO II Patrick Dotse Gomashie
1 hour -
Court grants GH₵10m bail to William Ato Essien pending appeal
1 hour -
Roads Minister vows sanctions for staff who approve payments for shoddy road projects
1 hour -
JOYNEWS condemns assault and detention of reporter Carlos Calony by operatives in military uniform
1 hour