Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe will be the highest paid footballer this season, based on his salary at the club and income from advertising contracts, according to Forbes magazine.
The French striker, the 2018 world champion with his country, is expected to earn $128 million (€131.1 million) before taxes and agency fees, a record for the sport, according to the trade magazine.
For the first time since 2014, it will not be the Argentinean Lionel Messi, Mbappe’s St. Germain colleague and second on the list with $120m (€122.9m), nor his all-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), third with $100 million (€102.42 million) among the richest footballers.
The two superstars were just 30 years old when they first crossed the $100 million annual revenue mark in 2018. However, Mbappe reached this figure when he was only 23 years old.
The top three players alone account for more than half of the $652 million (€667.77 million) record total for the ten highest salaries in world football.
Last year, the top ten raised $585 million (€599.15 million), so this year’s growth is 11 percent. Mbappe, who last May decided to extend his contract with Paris Saint-Germain until 2025, after considering a move to Real Madrid, will receive approximately $110 million ($112.66 million) in the current 2022/2023 financial year. euros) between his salary and part of the signing bonus, according to Forbes estimates, citing industry experts.
This amount is added to the $18 million (€18.44 million) generated off the pitch through his various partnerships (Nike, Dior, Hublot, Oakley, Panini, FIFA video game).
