KYLIAN MBAPPE has leapfrogged Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to become football’s highest earner.
According to American economic magazine Forbes, the 23-year-old Paris Saint-Germain superstar is the new top money maker.
Forbes estimate the French forward will earn a whopping £115million for the 2022-23 season.
This figure will be lessened when taxes and agents’ fees hit but will remain a record for the annual ranking of the world’s highest-paid footballer.
Let SunSport take you through the ultimate top ten list of playmakers and cash generators…
10 – Kevin De Bruyne – £26m a year
The 32-year-old De Bruyne has a four-year deal worth around £375k-a-week at Manchester City.
The Belgian has agreed to stay with the Premier League leaders until 2025 – meaning he will have spent a decade with the club.
He has 11 brand deals that include Nike, Wow Hydrate, Credit Karma and Therabody.
READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
9 – Andres Iniesta – £27m a year
Iniesta is a shock inclusion on the list now he plays for Vissel Kobe in Japan.
But the Barca legend is in danger of being relegated as his fairy tale Asian adventure threatens to turn into a nightmare.
The 38-year-old, who is in his fifth season at the Misaki Park Stadium having joined in 2018, is the current captain of the Cows.
Most read in Football
8 – Eden Hazard – £28m a year
Hazard was offered a huge £400,000 a week AFTER tax to join Real Madrid back in 2019.
The ex-Chelsea star takes home £20m a year plus bonuses at the Bernabeu.
This despite not getting any game time at the moment in LaLiga.
7 – Robert Lewandowski – £31.5m-a-year
Lewandowski, 34, joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich in a £42.5m transfer this summer after declaring his desire to quit the German champions.
Incredibly, the Poland star will get paid a net £8.6m in the current 2022-23 season – which works out as £165k-a-week after tax.
This will jump to £215k-a-week next term and then £265k-a-week in 2024-25 before dropping back in the final year, by which time he will be nearly 38.
Any club wanting to buy Lewandowski during the course of this deal would need to trigger his £430m release clause.
6 – Erling Haaland – £35m a year
Haaland, 22, scored a third consecutive home hat-trick in Manchester City’s 6-3 thrashing of local rivals United last Sunday.
Two more in the Champions League on Wednesday took his goal tally to a mouthwatering 19 from 11 games since his summer arrival from Borussia Dortmund.
The red hot striker signed a a five-year contract until 2027, after arriving for £51million in June.
While Forbes claims he is sixth on the list, the Daily Mail says he makes almost £1million PER WEEK at the Etihad – and that’s without his hat-trick cash.
According to those reports, the Citizens are showering him with £865k-a-week.
Haaland earns £3.5m in sponsorship deals which is expected to skyrocket like his form.
5 – Mo Salah – £48m a year
Salah took a new pay cheque in the summer, much to the excitement of Liverpool fans.
The 30-year-old confirmed his own new three-year contract as he almost DOUBLED his wages to £400k-a-week.
The Golden Boot winner handed Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp a huge boost after fellow striker Sadio Mane joined Bayern Munich.
Read More on The Sun
4 – Neymar – £78.5m-a-year
Neymar recently had his 600k-a-week contract extended to 2027.
The Brazilian penned a new deal in May last year.
His whopping PSG salary will last until he is 35.
3 – Cristiano Ronaldo – £90m a year
Ronaldo wanted his £360k-a-week Man Utd contract ripped up in the summer so he could join a Champions League club.
United, however, have no intention of cashing in on the Portuguese superstar and are adamant he’ll see out the final year of his huge deal.
He also boasts a crazy 486m followers on Instagram along with endorsement deals including his branded PANTS.
2 – Lionel Messi – £108m a year
Regarded by many as the ‘Greatest Of All Time’, Messi joined PSG in a shock move from Barcelona in 2021.
The 35-year-old’s mega £94m PSG contract was ‘leaked’ with a £12.8m-a-year loyalty bonus and a cryptocurrency stake.
He is set to be offered an extension but will decide his future after the Qatar World Cup.
1 – Kylian Mbappe – £115m a year
Mbappe signed a mega three-year deal worth £507M with the Parisians in May.
The winger snubbed Real Madrid to stay with his hometown team.
He pocketed a mindblowing £250m signing on fee in the process.
However, even the eye watering numbers that Forbes report is not enough to put off the LaLiga champions.
Los Blancos’ pursuit of Mbappe is set to start AGAIN next summer.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
