At the upcoming Club World Cup, we will see many stars of world football. It’s true that many of them won’t be in the U.S. for the tournament, but among those who will be present, we bring you the highest-paid footballers.FIFA Club World Cup at a glanceLionel Messi – 135 milionsSince joining Inter Miami in 2023, Messi has transformed the club’s business outlook, boosting its estimated value to 1.2 billion — the second-highest in Major League Soccer. However, his future in South Florida remains uncertain, as his contract is set to expire at the end of 2025. Reportedly, talks are underway regarding an extension, but regardless of where he chooses to conclude his extraordinary career, Messi — who turns 38 this year — remains a marketing powerhouse. He was one of only four athletes of highest-paid sports stars in 2025 to earn at least 75 millions off the field. His lucrative partnerships include deals with Adidas, Lay’s, and Mastercard.
Lionel Messi is the ONLY player in football history with 865 goals and 384 assists to win;
Copa America
FIFA World Cup
Finalissima
Olympic Gold #FIFAWorldCup|#Messi𓃵|#Argentina pic.twitter.com/Osoz8rTWn0— FIFA World Cup Stats (@alimo_philip) June 12, 2025 Kylian Mbappe – 90 milionsMbappe shook up the football world last June when he fulfilled a lifelong dream by signing with Real Madrid. He netted 42 goals across all competitions this season, but it was a somewhat underwhelming year for Los Blancos. They lost the La Liga title to Barcelona and were eliminated in the Champions League quarterfinals by Arsenal. To make matters worse, Paris Saint-Germain — the club Mbappe left to join Madrid — went on to win the Champions League trophy last month.On the international stage, however, Mbappe reached a major milestone with France, becoming just the third player in history to score 50 goals for Les Bleus, following Olivier Giroud and Thierry Henry.Kylian Mbappé is the highest scoring player in 2025 to feature at the Club World Cup
pic.twitter.com/I50NYhuDuk— OneFootball (@OneFootball) June 13, 2025 Erling Haaland – 62 milionsFor the first time in three seasons at Manchester City, Haaland did not finish as the Premier League’s top scorer in the 2024–25 campaign. He fell seven goals short of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who netted 29. Still, the dip in output — 27 goals in 2023–24 compared to 36 the season before — didn’t stop Haaland from cashing in on his success in England.In January, the 24-year-old Norwegian signed the longest contract in Premier League history — a nine-and-a-half-year extension that ties him to Manchester City until 2034. This deal surpassed the previous record: a nine-year contract signed by Cole Palmer with Chelsea last year.Off the pitch, Haaland continues to expand his brand with endorsement deals from Nike, Clear, and Beats by Dre, among others.Erling Haaland joined Manchester City three years ago. The amount he has achieved since is incredible:
142 games
121 goals
Champions League
Premier League (2)
FA Cup
Club World Cup
UEFA Super Cup
PL POTY
PL YPOTY
PL Golden Boot (2)
pic.twitter.com/4IOi6bNBKk— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 13, 2025 Vinicius Jr. – 55 milionsReigning FIFA Men’s Player of the Year, Vinicius Junior, solidified his star status this season by scoring over 20 goals across all competitions for the fourth consecutive year. While the Brazilian has yet to make a major impact on the international stage — with just seven goals in 41 appearances for the national team — his popularity across South America is on the rise.Vinicius continues to attract big-name sponsors, with endorsement deals that include brands like Gatorade, Pepsi, and Dubai Tourism.
Vinicius Junior’s underrated 2024/25 season:
52 games
21 goals
15 assists
36 goal contributions
101 key passes
28 big chances created
130 successful dribbles
pic.twitter.com/aRpwMvBaed— Sholy Nation Sports (@Sholynationsp) June 14, 2025 Harry Kane – 39 milionsHarry Kane has been a prolific striker, racking up 366 goals in club competitions and another 73 on the international stage. Yet, until this season, the 31-year-old Englishman had not claimed a major trophy. That changed when Bayern Munich clinched the Bundesliga title, marking Kane’s second piece of silverware with the club following a long, trophyless spell at Tottenham.I can’t wait to get our @FIFACWC journey started.
@DAZNFootball #FIFACWC #Undisputed pic.twitter.com/ojrupf30HJ— Harry Kane (@HKane) June 14, 2025 Off the pitch, Kane is the face of Skechers’ football line, further boosting his presence in the global sports market.##NAJAVA_MECA_8977551##
