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Saudi Arabia, which opened the way to the Middle East for the world of football, has significantly increased the annual earnings of players in recent years.
According to Forbes' list, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for the Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr, topped the ranking of the highest-earning football players of 2024 with an income of 285 million dollars.
THE TOP IS RONALDO'S
In 2024, Ronaldo earned more than double that of his closest competitor, Argentine Lionel Messi. The 39-year-old footballer broke his own record of 260 million dollars from last year in annual earnings, increasing his income to 285 million dollars this year.
By launching a YouTube channel in August to increase his presence in the online space, Ronaldo reached nearly 1 billion followers across all social media platforms. With brand partnerships, including Nike, as well as ventures in the hotel and clothing sectors, Ronaldo's off-field income rose to 65 million dollars annually, while he earned 220 million dollars from Al Nassr for one year.
Here are the top 10 highest-earning star footballers in 2024;
- Cristiano Ronaldo - Al Nassr - 285 million dollars
- Lionel Messi - Inter Miami - 135 million dollars
- Neymar - Al Hilal - 110 million dollars
- Karim Benzema - Al Ittihad - 104 million dollars
- Kylian Mbappe - Real Madrid - 90 million dollars
- Erling Haaland - Manchester City - 60 million dollars
- Vinicius Junior - Real Madrid - 55 million dollars
- Mohamed Salah - Liverpool - 53 million dollars
- Sadio Mane - Al Nassr - 52 million dollars
- Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City - 39 million dollars
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