<p>Cristiano Ronaldo sits at $1.87 billion AUD. That makes him football's first billionaire, and nobody else is particularly close.</p> <p>Messi trails at $1.33 billion AUD. David Beckham, who hasn't kicked a ball professionally in over a decade, comes in at $702 million AUD. The man built an empire while most retired players fade into punditry.</p> <p>Here's what separates the mega-wealthy from players who simply earned good wages: business sense. Ronaldo's Al Nassr contract pays him more than most clubs' entire wage bills, sure. But his CR7 hotels, gyms, and that lifetime Nike deal generate wealth that will outlast his playing days by decades.</p> <p>Same story with Beckham's Inter Miami stake, purchased for $39 million AUD and now worth nearly ten times that.</p> <p>Quick disclaimer: these are estimates pulled from Forbes, Bloomberg, Celebrity Net Worth, and contract reports. Nobody's showing us their bank statements.</p> <h2>The Top 10 Richest Footballers in the World</h2> <h3>1. Cristiano Ronaldo - $1.87 Billion AUD (Al Nassr/Portugal)</h3> <p>June 2025. That's when Ronaldo officially became football's first billionaire, signing his Al Nassr extension and crossing a threshold nobody in the sport had reached before.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/soccer/asia/saudi-pro-league">Saudi Pro League</a> club pays him roughly $312 million AUD per year. Annually. Tax-free. He's also got somewhere between 15-30% equity in the club itself, plus accommodation, private jets, and what one report called "unprecedented lifestyle perks." Whatever that means in Saudi Arabia, it's probably excessive.</p> <p>But here's the thing about Ronaldo: the football money is almost secondary now.</p> <p>His lifetime Nike deal alone is valued north of $1.56 billion AUD. The CR7 brand includes the Pestana hotel chain (properties in Lisbon, Madrid, Madeira, New York), CR7 Fitness gyms partnered with Crunch, fragrances, underwear, footwear, even bottled water. He slaps his initials on things and they sell.</p> <p>Property portfolio includes homes in Madeira, Madrid, and Riyadh, plus a $29 million AUD apartment in Trump Tower. Car collection runs to a Bugatti Centodieci, Ferrari F12 TDF, and Lamborghini Aventador among others.</p> <p>The man is 40 years old with 929+ career goals. His body will eventually slow down. His business empire won't.</p> <h3>2. Lionel Messi - $1.33 Billion AUD (Inter Miami/Argentina)</h3> <p>Eight Ballon d'Ors. A World Cup. And a net worth that's doubled in the past ten years.</p> <p>Messi's Inter Miami <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/soccer/tips-predictions-soccer/2025-mls-leagues-cup-phase-one-tips">MLS</a>&nbsp; contract looks modest on paper compared to Saudi money, but the structure is clever. Base salary plus Apple TV+ revenue sharing plus Adidas merchandise cuts plus performance bonuses equals roughly $94 million AUD annually. His jersey smashed the US single-season sales record within weeks. Every subscription, every shirt sold, he gets a slice.</p> <p>Then there's the equity option. Messi can buy 10% of Inter Miami at a preset valuation. The club's worth has exploded past $1.87 billion since he arrived. That option alone could be worth $187 million AUD when he exercises it.</p> <p>Barcelona still owes him money, by the way. Deferred payments from that absurd €555 million contract (2017-2021) are trickling through until 2025.</p> <p>Endorsement partners: Pepsi, Budweiser, Mastercard, Hard Rock, Louis Vuitton, and a controversial Visit Saudi deal paying around $39 million AUD yearly. The MiM Hotels chain across Spain and Andorra reportedly generates $624 million AUD in annual revenue. He's got a sports drink (Más+), a clothing line (Messi Store), and an investment fund (Play Time) backing sports tech startups.</p> <p>Real estate in Barcelona, Rosario, Fort Lauderdale, Paris, Ibiza. Conservatively valued at $62 million AUD.</p> <p>Ronaldo built a brand. Messi built businesses. Both approaches work.</p> <h3>3. David Beckham - $702 Million AUD (Retired/Inter Miami Owner)</h3> <p>Beckham stopped playing in 2013. His wealth keeps climbing.</p> <p>That $39 million AUD option to buy an MLS expansion team, buried in his 2007 LA Galaxy contract? Genius move. Inter Miami's valuation has surged past $1.56 billion since Messi arrived, making Beckham's stake worth approximately $367 million AUD. He turned a contract clause into a nine-figure asset.</p> <p>DB Ventures handles his endorsement portfolio: Adidas, Tudor watches, Maserati, AliExpress, SharkNinja. That operation alone generates $117 million AUD annually. His lifetime Adidas deal is worth $250 million AUD. Qatar paid him $286 million AUD across ten years to promote the 2022 World Cup.</p> <p>Beyond Miami, he owns pieces of Salford City, Haig Club whisky, and Guild Esports. The Netflix documentary triggered a brand resurgence, with DRJB Holdings reporting $56 million AUD in pre-tax profits for 2023.</p> <p>Properties include a $64 million AUD mansion in Holland Park (London), a $125 million AUD waterfront place in Miami Beach, and a Cotswolds estate. Add Victoria's $109 million AUD and the family controls roughly $812 million AUD combined.</p> <p>Not bad for a midfielder.</p> <h3>4. Neymar Jr - $546 Million AUD (Santos/Brazil)</h3> <p>The $380 million AUD transfer from Barcelona to PSG in 2017 remains football's most expensive. The money Neymar made from that move, and everything after, built a fortune that survived one of the sport's more disappointing career chapters.</p> <p>Al Hilal paid him approximately $250 million AUD annually. He played seven matches. Injuries wrecked everything, and the club terminated his contract in January 2025.</p> <p>His return to Santos came with a 99% pay cut. He's earning around $780,000 AUD for six months. But the real play is image rights: Neymar retains 90% of commercial revenue from his name. Classic move for a player betting on brand over salary.</p> <p>Puma pays him $36 million AUD yearly, significantly more than his old Nike deal. NR Sports, run with his father, manages the business side. He owns 20% of LOUD, one of Brazil's biggest esports organisations (valued around $312 million AUD), plus stakes in VR platforms and fintech ventures. A beverage company called Tial is projecting $109+ million AUD in early revenue.</p> <p>Real estate: a $17 million AUD mansion in Mangaratiba with a helipad, an $84 million AUD penthouse at Dubai's Bugatti Residences (bought 2024), plus places in Paris and Santos.</p> <p>Five hundred million social media followers. At 33, he's commercially valuable whether he plays or not.</p> <h3>5. Kylian Mbappé - $390 Million AUD (Real Madrid/France)</h3> <p>Al-Hilal offered Mbappé $1.2 billion AUD in 2023. He said no.</p> <p>The childhood dream mattered more. Real Madrid got him on a free transfer in 2024 to play in <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/soccer/spain/spanish-la-liga">Spain’s La Liga</a>, though "free" included a $254 million AUD signing bonus spread across five years and a base salary around $53 million AUD annually.</p> <p>At 26, career earnings already exceed $468 million AUD. His Nike deal runs ten years at approximately $292 million AUD total. Hublot, Oakley, EA Sports, and Dior round out the endorsement roster.</p> <p>What's interesting about Mbappé is the investment side. Through Coalition Capital, he bought 80% of SM Caen, a French second-division club. He's got equity in Sorare (blockchain fantasy sports, valued above $1.15 billion AUD) and Loewe (German audio company). Zebra Valley is his media production venture.</p> <p>His Real Madrid image rights deal gives him 80% ownership of his commercial identity. Behind Ronaldo and Messi, he's the likeliest footballer to reach $1.56 billion AUD in career earnings.</p> <p>Instagram following: 120 million. Estimated value per sponsored post: $1.87 million AUD.</p> <h3>6. Karim Benzema - $312 Million AUD (Al-Ittihad/France)</h3> <p>The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner followed Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia in 2023. Al-Ittihad pays him approximately $156 million AUD per year. Forbes ranked him third among footballers in 2025, trailing only Ronaldo and Messi.</p> <p>Fourteen seasons at Real Madrid. Five Champions League titles. That Ballon d'Or pushed his commercial value into a different bracket entirely.</p> <p>Endorsement partners include Adidas and Hyundai. Unlike some peers, Benzema keeps his investments private. No hotel chains, no esports stakes, no media companies, at least not publicly.</p> <p>His wealth illustrates what Saudi money means for players in their mid-to-late thirties. In Europe, he'd earn maybe $15-25 million AUD. In the Gulf, he commands $150+ million AUD. Simple maths, really.</p> <h3>7. Erling Haaland - $125 Million AUD (Manchester City/Norway)</h3> <p>January 2025: Haaland signed a ten-year contract extension with Manchester City. Worth $426 million AUD through 2034. Base salary of $42.6 million AUD can hit $71 million AUD with bonuses for goals, assists, and silverware.</p> <p>He's 25. He's scored 111 goals in 126 City appearances. Treble winner in 2023. Back-to-back <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/soccer/united-kingdom/english-premier-league">Premier League</a> Golden Boots. Transfermarkt values him at $310 million AUD, highest in world football.</p> <p>Nike pays him roughly $31 million AUD annually. Other partners: Breitling, Dolce &amp; Gabbana, Beats by Dre, Samsung, and, oddly, the Norwegian Seafood Council.</p> <p>His family office, Pillage 3 AS, manages investments in Maritime &amp; Merchant Bank ASA, Höegh Autoliners, travel brand Db, and a Norwegian hair-tie company called Bon Dep. Properties in Oslo, Manchester, Marbella. A $4.7 million AUD car collection.</p> <p>Financial projections suggest he could pass $468 million AUD by 30. Billionaire status is genuinely possible if the trajectory holds.</p> <h3>8. Mohamed Salah - $140 Million AUD (Liverpool/Egypt)</h3> <p>Liverpool's highest earner in history, reportedly at $31 million AUD annually on a three-year deal signed in 2025. A decade in the Premier League has generated $234+ million AUD in salary.</p> <p>His commercial appeal is geographic. Europe, Africa, the Middle East. Adidas, Pepsi, Vodafone, DHL all pay for access to those markets. Annual endorsement income sits around $23 million AUD.</p> <p>Unlike others on this list, Salah hasn't built a business empire. Egyptian real estate, charitable work in his hometown of Nagrig (funding a hospital and school), focus on football. The philanthropy seems genuine.</p> <p>At 33, his 2024-25 form rivals his best seasons. Contract talks in late 2024 generated transfer speculation, but staying at Anfield cements both legacy and long-term wealth.</p> <h3>9. Vinicius Jr - $109 Million AUD (Real Madrid/Brazil)</h3> <p>Second in 2024 Ballon d'Or voting. First appearance on Forbes' highest-paid footballers list. Twenty-four years old.</p> <p>Real Madrid extended his contract in 2024. Approximately $31 million AUD annually plus performance bonuses. Nike signed him to a ten-year deal worth $156 million AUD total. Gatorade, Beats by Dre, and EA Sports fill out the portfolio. Sixty million social media followers.</p> <p>He hasn't built business ventures yet. No investments, no side projects, no ownership stakes. The focus is entirely on becoming the world's best player. Given his Champions League performances, that's not unrealistic.</p> <p>Transfermarkt values him at $234 million AUD, second only to Haaland. His youth means everything here. Another decade at this level and the wealth compounds dramatically.</p> <h3>10. Kevin De Bruyne - $109 Million AUD (Manchester City/Belgium)</h3> <p>De Bruyne signed his City extension in 2023 at roughly $39 million AUD yearly, though a 2025 move to <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/soccer/italy/italian-serie-a">Italy’s Serie A</a> changed his situation. At 33, he remains among the best-compensated midfielders.</p> <p>Endorsements: Nike, EA Sports, some Belgian brands. Unlike teammates and rivals, he's avoided the commercial spotlight deliberately. Estimated endorsement income around $7.8 million AUD annually.</p> <p>Career earnings from City alone exceed $234 million AUD since 2015. Multiple Premier League titles. Champions League winner. Legacy secured.</p> <p>De Bruyne talks openly about prioritising family over commercial opportunities. His net worth reflects that choice. Some players squeeze every dollar from their fame. He chose differently.</p> <h2>FAQs</h2> <h3>Who is the richest footballer of all time?</h3> <p>Ronaldo at $1.87 billion AUD. First footballer to reach billionaire status. The Al Nassr contract, lifetime Nike deal, and CR7 business empire got him there.</p> <h3>Is Ronaldo richer than Messi?</h3> <p>Yes. Roughly $540 million AUD richer. The gap widened after Ronaldo's Saudi move and continues growing.</p> <h3>How much does Ronaldo earn annually from Al Nassr?</h3> <p>Approximately $312 million AUD including base salary, bonuses, and commercial arrangements. Highest-paid athlete in team sports.</p> <h3>Why did Mbappé reject $1.2 billion AUD from Saudi Arabia?</h3> <p>Real Madrid was the childhood dream. He wanted Champions League glory and the legacy that comes with that white shirt. Money couldn't outweigh it.</p> <h3>Which footballer has the most endorsement deals?</h3> <p>Ronaldo. Nike (lifetime, $1.56 billion AUD), Herbalife, Clear, Binance, and others. Messi's Adidas lifetime deal plus Pepsi, Budweiser, and various partners comes close.</p> <h3>How did Saudi Arabia change footballer earnings?</h3> <p>Dramatically. Ronaldo, Benzema, and Neymar earned $150-300 million AUD annually there. European clubs can't match those figures due to wage structures and tax obligations.</p>