The Highest-Paid Players At The 2026 FIFA World Cup

There are many firsts at this year’s FIFA World Cup. For the first time in the tournament’s 96-year history, there will be 48 teams. It’s also the first World Cup to be held across three countries (the United States, Canada and Mexico), in a record 16 cities. And it will be the first to feature a billionaire player—actually two—with 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo captaining Portugal and 38-year-old Lionel Messi leading Argentina in its title defense.

Then again, with ticket prices in the stratosphere, billionaires may be the only ones who can afford to attend. FIFA recently listed a ticket for the July 19 final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium for $32,970, triple the price from a ticket drop in April—and more than 20 times what the equivalent ticket cost for the 2022 final in Qatar. And even the world’s richest might have to think twice about buying tickets on the secondary market. In April, FIFA’s resale site listed four seats to the final for a little less than $2.3 million each. (Section 124, Row 45, Seats 33-36, if you’re scalping at home.)

Here are the 11 highest-paid players competing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The World Cup’s Highest-Paid Players

#1. $300 million

Nationality: Portugal | Age: 41 | On-Field: $235 million • Off-Field: $65 million

Ronaldo is not only soccer’s highest-paid player but the world’s top-earning athlete from any sport, an honor he has claimed for four years straight. The 41-year-old Portuguese forward’s estimated $300 million in income over the past 12 months ties him with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. for the largest haul by an athlete ever measured by Forbes (without accounting for inflation), and he is the only athlete to have surpassed $2 billion in career earnings while still active in his sport. It all adds up to a net worth Forbes now estimates at $1.2 billion, making Ronaldo one of only four active athletes inducted into the three-comma club. He heads into his sixth World Cup still seeking his first title in the competition—the rare missing hardware in his GOAT-worthy trophy case—but he has momentum. Last month, he helped Al-Nassr secure the Saudi Pro League championship, his first such triumph since he arrived in the Middle East in 2023.

#2. $140 million

Nationality: Argentina | Age: 38 | On-Field: $70 million • Off-Field: $70 million

Like his longtime rival Ronaldo, Messi recently joined Forbes’ list of the world’s billionaires, with a net worth estimated at $1.1 billion. Also like Ronaldo—as well as Guillermo Ochoa of Mexico—Messi will be appearing in his sixth World Cup, a record. But as Argentina tries to replicate its run from 2022 and capture its fourth title overall, the star Inter Miami forward, who turns 39 on June 24, is poised to set another all-time high all on his own. With four goals this summer, Messi would pass Miroslav Klose’s 16 for the most in World Cup history. Regardless of how he performs, however, Messi will be at the center of marketing campaigns around the tournament, appearing in new commercials for Adidas (with Bad Bunny and Timothée Chalamet) and Michelob Ultra (with Christian Pulisic and Billy Bob Thornton). Lowe’s is also selling a ten-foot-tall inflatable Messi for $99.

#3. $95 million

Nationality: France | Age: 27 | On-Field: $70 million • Off-Field: $25 million

Although he has played in three fewer World Cups than Messi, Mbappé is just one goal behind him on the tournament’s career list, having shown the same killer instinct around the net that made him the Champions League’s top scorer during the 2025-26 season for Real Madrid. The 27-year-old forward, who led France to the 2018 World Cup title at age 19 and returned to the tournament final four years later, is already among soccer’s most marketable players and could add to his sponsor portfolio with another big showing this summer. Heading into the World Cup, Mbappé unveiled a wellness-focused endorsement deal with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and joined health insurer Alan as both an ambassador and an investor.

#4. $80 million

Nationality: Norway | Age: 25 | On-Field: $60 million • Off-Field: $20 million

Haaland signed a blockbuster contract extension with Manchester City last year, but the deal apparently won’t stop the overtures from Real Madrid, with renewable energy entrepreneur Enrique Riquelme promising last week that he would sign the 25-year-old striker if he was elected president of the Spanish club. (Manchester City responded by threatening legal action.) For the moment, Haaland can focus on the World Cup, Norway’s first since 1998—two years before he was born. “It’s a lot of pressure on me, but I like the pressure,” Haaland recently told GQ. “I would put a lot of pressure on Erling Haaland if I wasn’t Erling Haaland myself.”

#5. $60 million

Nationality: Brazil | Age: 25 | On-Field: $40 million • Off-Field: $20 million

Perhaps his mind-set has been colored by Real Madrid’s disappointing season, but Vinicius has consistently downplayed Brazil’s chances at this World Cup, naming Argentina, Portugal, Spain and France as the leading contenders during a conversation with Spanish creator Ibai Llanos in February and reiterating in March that his country—which has won the World Cup a record five times—shouldn’t be considered the tournament favorite. (FanDuel and DraftKings list Brazil with the fourth- and fifth-best odds to win, respectively.) As the Seleção seek to end a 24-year dry spell at the World Cup, Vinicius may also be looking forward to a different kind of game. Eagle-eyed fans recently noticed that a new Nike ad briefly shows a Fortnite skin of the 25-year-old forward—a collaboration that has otherwise not been announced.

#6. $55 million

Nationality: Egypt | Age: 33 | On-Field: $35 million • Off-Field: $20 million

After nine seasons, 257 goals and two Premier League titles with Liverpool, Salah is moving on. The winger, who turns 34 on June 15, reached an agreement with the Reds in March to terminate his contract a year early, allowing him to sign with a new team this summer as a free transfer. For now, though, the “Egyptian King,” who has been credited with reducing Islamophobia in Liverpool, can focus on leading his country in its fourth World Cup appearance. Although Egypt has claimed the Africa Cup of Nations a record seven times, it has never won a World Cup match—a drought that could end with the Pharaohs facing Belgium, Iran and New Zealand in Group G this month.

#7. $54 million

Nationality: Senegal | Age: 34 | On-Field: $50 million • Off-Field: $4 million

Mané has already earned two major trophies this year, but only one has stuck. Before teaming with Ronaldo to win the Saudi Pro League championship with Al-Nassr, the 34-year-old winger led Senegal to victory in the Africa Cup of Nations final in January—only for the title to be stripped two months later because Senegalese players had left the pitch in protest over a penalty kick awarded to Morocco. A star showing at this summer’s World Cup by Mané, who missed the 2022 tournament because of a knee injury, could lead Senegal back to the quarterfinals for the first time in 24 years and also bring him some new suitors, with his Al-Nassr contract reportedly set to expire at the end of the month.

#8. $44 million

Nationality: England | Age: 22 | On-Field: $29 million • Off-Field: $15 million

With Mbappé and Vinicius, Bellingham is one of three players on the World Cup highest-paid list who suits up for Real Madrid, and although he is still a couple of weeks from his 23rd birthday, he played a key role for England at the 2022 World Cup. In a group-stage game against Iran, the midfielder became the Three Lions’ second-youngest goal-scorer in tournament history, and he had an assist in the Round of 16. The performance helped tee up Bellingham’s transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid for more than $100 million, one of the largest fees ever. However, England manager Thomas Tuchel said this week that Bellingham would have to fight for playing time this summer, with the Three Lions carrying “14 or 15 potential starters” on their roster.

#9. $43 million

Nationality: Spain | Age: 18 | On-Field: $33 million • Off-Field: $10 million

Yamal missed the end of Barcelona’s championship season in La Liga because of a hamstring injury, and while the 18-year-old winger returned to training with the Spanish team in late May, Barça has reportedly set strict conditions for his participation in the World Cup. According to the Spanish newspaper AS, Yamal is expected to play only 15 minutes as a substitute in Spain’s opening game against Cape Verde, and up to 60 minutes against Saudi Arabia the following week. His time on fans’ televisions shouldn’t suffer too much, though: In January, Yamal signed an endorsement deal with American Eagle, and he is being featured in World Cup campaigns for Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Powerade and Visa.

#10. $41 million

Harry Kane

Nationality: England | Age: 32 | On-Field: $29 million • Off-Field: $12 million

The only member of the 11 highest-paid players at the World Cup to play his club soccer in Germany’s Bundesliga, as a striker for Bayern Munich, Kane also happens to be England’s all-time top scorer, with 79 goals in 113 international appearances. This summer, he will look to improve on the Three Lions’ runner-up finish at the 2024 European Championship, where he shared the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer. The 32-year-old Kane showed he is ready to go when he found the net in England’s first World Cup warm-up game this month against New Zealand, giving him 32 goals for club and country in 2026—14 more than any other player in the world this year, according to ESPN.

#11. $38 million

Nationality: Brazil | Age: 34 | On-Field: $10 million • Off-Field: $28 million

Neymar is still recovering from a calf injury that has held him out of World Cup tuneup games, and Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said recently that the 34-year-old Santos forward would have to compete with his countrymen Vinicius Jr. and Raphinha for playing time even if he can get healthy. Still, Neymar has earned respect, with Brazil assigning him its iconic No. 10 jersey for this summer’s tournament. Neymar will be the only Brazilian ever to have worn the number—previously donned by legends including Pelé, Zico, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaká—at four World Cups.

METHODOLOGY

The Forbes list of the highest-paid players at the 2026 World Cup tracks earnings over the last 12 months. All figures are converted to U.S. dollars using exchange rates as of May and are rounded to the nearest $1 million.

On-field earnings estimates reflect the 2025-26 club soccer season, including base salaries, bonuses and, in some cases, club-based image rights agreements. (For Lionel Messi, who plays on MLS’s calendar-year schedule, the on-field earnings figure reflects his compensation for the past 12 months.)

Off-field estimates reflect annual cash from endorsements, licensing, appearances and memorabilia, as well as cash returns from any businesses in which the athlete has a significant interest. In the case of certain players, such as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, club or league sponsors are believed to subsidize their playing contracts, and that value is accounted for in the on-field estimates.

The figures are derived from news reports and publicly available databases, including Capology.com, and from conversations with industry insiders. Most asked to remain anonymous, but Forbes would like to acknowledge soccer correspondent Tancredi Palmeri, DODICI Sports Management’s Mariano Trasande and Xeric Sports Management’s Shea Richard Soma.

Forbes does not include investment income such as interest payments or dividends but does account for payouts from equity stakes athletes have sold. Forbes does not deduct taxes or agents’ fees. Transfer fees are excluded.

With reporting by Hank Tucker.

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