Top 7 highest earning footballers in 2017

The top star footballers in the top global leagues are rich, yes! Very rich and if you have any reason to doubt us, we assure you that at the end of this article you will find more than enough reason to agree with us.

In the last decade we have experienced escalating payouts from domestic and international television agreements, kit deals, sponsors, Champions League, and an influx of wealthy ownership groups have resulted in surging soccer wages around the world.

While footballers make astonishing sum of money from their wages they also match such huge amount with endorsement they get from patronising brands on Television and the Social Media.

7. James Rodriguez- $7m (Brands and Sponsors: Adidas, Pepsi, Huawei and Hugo Boss):

7 highest earning footballers in 2017

James Rodriguez

Former Real Madrid attacker, James Rodriguez, finds himself on our list as he continues to make a lot of money every day, thanks to his dealwith new club (Bayern Munich), sponsors, and brands.

Rodriguez joined Bayern Munich on a 2-year loan deal last summer and he earns $7m annually on endorsements alone.

6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic- $7m annually (Brands and Sponsors: Adidas and Volvo):

7 highest earning footballers in 2017

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored 28 goals in all competitions in his first season at Manchester United. He might be tagged controversial in so many ways but the most important thing is that he is making a lot of money while at it.

This year, he will earn $7m from brands and sponsors he endorses, plus the new deal he signed at Old Trafford after his comeback only makes it better for him.

5. Sergio Aguero- $7.5m annually (Brands and Sponsors: EA Sports, PepsiCo, and Puma):

7 highest earning footballers in 2017

Sergio Aguero

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is the only Premier League player on the list with a total earning of $7.5m annual earning.

This huge amount comes only from brands and sponsors endorsements without adding his wages.

4. Gareth Bale- $11m annually (Brands and Sponsors: Adidas, Konami, EA Sports, Foot Locker and Sony):

7 highest earning footballers in 2017

Gareth Bale

The Welsh star attacker signed a long-term deal with Real Madrid in October 2016 that will keep him in Santiago Bernabeu for the next six years.

He earns £300k weekly as wage until 2022. He is also set to pocket $11m annually from Brands and Sponsors this year.

Bale’s future at Los Blancos is however in doubt after a difficult season with injury problems.

3. Neymar- $23m annually (Brands and Sponsors: Unilever, Konami, Nike, Red Bull, Volkswagen, Gillette, and Panasonic):

7 highest earning footballers in 2017

Neymar jnr

Paris Saint-Germain star forward, Neymar, can be said to be shining brighter every year.

At a rather young age of 25, he is earning far more than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when they were the same age.

He has more years to play and this means he will earn even more in the coming years the switch to PSG really improved his earnings.

2. Lionel Messi-$28m annually (Brands and Sponsors include: Adidas, EA Sports, Tata, Gatorade and Gillette):

7 highest earning footballers in 2017

Messi in his brand new Audi salon car

Argentina captain, Lionel Messi, is at the number 2 spot of our list as his weekly salary has gone up after he signed the new deal to stay Barcelona.

In terms of wages, Messi is the highest paid footballer in the World today. Thanks to his new deal at Barcelona, Messi now earns more than Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.

However, when it comes to endorsements, the Argentine falls behind the Portuguese by $4m, maybe because he is not on Twitter yet.

7. Cristiano Ronaldo- $32m annually (Brands and Sponsors include CR7, Nike, Tag Heuer, Herbalife, Monster Headphones and Sacoor Brothers):

7 highest earning footballers in 2017

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, earns a weekly salary of £288,000 after tax. He also earns $32m annually via endorsements.

He is the most followed athlete on social media. He is set to earn more after helping his club retain UEFA Champions League. The Portuguese lifted his fifth Ballon d’Or award last week to go level with Lionel Messi. This achievement will only add more deals towards him.

-NAIJ