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Top 10 highest-earning footballers as 2026 rich list revealed

The highest-earning footballers of 2026 have been revealed, with just one Premier League star in the top 10.

The top 10 highest-earning footballers in 2026 have been announced

Messi, Haaland, Ronaldo
The top 10 highest-earning footballers in 2026 (Image: Getty)

Football's financial excesses are nothing new, but the sums involved show little sign of slowing down. The game's biggest stars are no longer simply collecting enormous weekly wages - they have become global brands in their own right, with commercial empires to match their fortunes on the pitch. Unsurprisingly, the summit still belongs to the two icons who have defined the sport for 20 years. Even well into the twilight of their careers - with one swimming in petrodollars out in the desert and the other cashing massive commercial checks under the Miami sun - nobody can quite touch their gargantuan earning power, even as they enter their 40s.

However, a handful of players are closing the gap, including one Premier League star. Despite the wealth flowing through English football, he is the only player from the division to feature in Forbes' top 10 earners list for 2026.

The list also features a teenager, two England internationals and four established Premier League greats. Here, Express Football runs through the top 10.

10. Mo Salah - £30m

Mo Salah
After leaving Liverpool in the summer, Mo Salah became one of the most sought-after free agents in world football. When Turkish club Trabzonspor picked him, it came as something of a surprise - until you clocked the contract they were offering the Egyptian.  Salah is earning more than £14million a year in wages on a two-year deal that also guarantees him a 20% royalty on merchandise featuring his name that the club sells. Add in his £15m in off-field earnings and you've got one of the best-paid footballers on the planet. (Image: Getty)

9. Harry Kane - £32m

Harry Kane
After winning the Ballon d'Or on Monday night, Harry Kane can expect his off-field earnings to soar - not that he was short of a few quid to begin with. The England international was already bringing in close to £10m from various endorsement deals.  Add in his whopping Bayern Munich contract, which pays him just under £22m a year, and the various goal bonuses he must be scooping up every few weeks, and Kane is laughing all the way to the bank. (Image: Getty)

8. Jude Bellingham - £34m

Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham just edges out England team-mate Kane, despite earning roughly the same £22m a year in wages. The Real Madrid midfielder pulls clear thanks to his off-field earnings, which top £12m. Commercially, Bellingham fronts Adidas' signature Predator football boots and has lucrative partnerships with fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton and Skims, making him a serious moneymaker both on and off the pitch. (Image: Getty)

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