Football

Kylian Mbappe becomes the world’s highest paid footballer leaving behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Paris Saint Germain (PSG) forward Kylian Mbappe is now the world’s highest-paid football player, according to Forbes magazine. It is also the first time a player other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo has climbed to the top of the list in eight years.

Mbappe, 23, has an estimated earning of $128 million for the 2022-23 season before agents’ fees, a record for Forbes’ annual rankings. His PSG teammate Messi is placed second at $120 million and Manchester United’s Ronaldo ($100 million) has occupied the third spot. PSG’s Neymar ($87 million) and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah ($53 million) rounded off the top five.

Erling Haaland, who has made a fiery start to his Manchester City career after joining the club from Borussia Dortmund in the close season, has also made an entry in the top 10 with earnings of $39 million.

The rise of Frenchman Mbappe and Norwegian Haaland, the only players under the age of 30 on the list, signals a shift in the global game, the Forbes report said, as Messi and Ronaldo edge closer to the end of their glorious careers. In total, the 10 highest-paid soccer players are expected to collect record earnings worth $652 million this season, up 11% from last year’s $585 million.

Considered one of the best players in the world, Mbappé is renowned for his dribbling abilities, exceptional speed, and finishing. He began his senior club career in 2015 playing for Monaco, where he won the Ligue 1 title. In 2017, aged 18, Mbappé signed for Paris Saint-Germain on an eventual permanent transfer worth €180 million, making him the second-most expensive player and most expensive teenage player.

There, he won four Ligue 1 titles, and three Coupes de France and is also the club’s second-highest all-time top goalscorer. He further helped the club reach their first UEFA Champions League Final in 2020.

At the international level, Mbappé made his senior debut for France in 2017, at age 18. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Mbappé became the youngest French player to score at a World Cup. He also became the second teenager, after Pelé, to score in a World Cup Final. He finished as the joint second-highest goalscorer as France won the tournament. Owing to his remarkable performance, the youngster was further bestowed with FIFA World Cup Best Young Player and French Player of the Year.