Ranking follows a standout 2024-25 campaign after which Yamal signed a mammoth new contract
Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal has been named among the world’s 10 highest-paid footballers for the first time by Forbes.
At just 18, the winger’s inclusion crystallises his incredible rise as one of Europe’s brightest and most valuable young talents.
Forbes estimates Yamal’s total earnings for 2025 at $43m, placing him tenth on the global list.
At the top of the ranking is Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo, who was recently adjudged to have become a billionaire by Bloomberg.
Ronaldo is projected to earn a whooping $280m this year playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, more than double that of second-placed Lionel Messi, who earns $130m at Inter Miami.
Yamal’s rise into elite financial territory follows a standout 2024-25 campaign in which he became a key figure for Barcelona and Spain. He followed that up by signing a mammoth new contract in the summer that runs until 2031 and includes a €1bn release clause.
The list also includes several of Europe’s biggest stars, including Real Madrid trio Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
The full list of top 10 highest-paid footballers:
1) Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr): $280 million
2) Lionel Messi (Inter Miami): $130 million
3) Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad): $104 million
4) Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid): $95 million
5) Erling Haaland (Manchester City): $80 million
6) Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid): $60 million
7) Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): $55 million
8) Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr): $54 million
9) Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid): $44 million
10) Lamine Yamal (Barcelona): $43 million
