Do you know who is actually the richest player in the world? Well, no—it’s not Cristiano Ronaldo, as many people think. I found out that the title belongs to a guy named Faiq Bolkiah from Brunei, with a fortune estimated at around 20 billion dollars. But hold on—most of that money doesn’t come from football; it comes from the royal family.

What caught my attention is that the ranking of who is the richest player in the world mixes people who are still playing with retirees. There’s Mathieu Flamini, a former Arsenal player, who became a billionaire after founding a sustainable bioproducts company. Basically, the guy left football and got much richer by investing in business.

Cristiano Ronaldo comes in third with about 500 million, and Messi with 400 million. The two built their fortunes mainly through sponsorships, hotels, gyms, and those kinds of things off the pitch. Interestingly, in 2025 salaries stayed absurdly high even with reduced investments in Arábia Saudita. Ronaldo earning 220 million a year at Al-Nassr, Neymar 110 million at Al-Hilal.

But when you look at market value, things change again. Haaland and Vinícius Jr are valued at 200 million euros each. That’s different from accumulated fortune—it’s more about the potential these guys have to generate financial returns for the clubs.

The craziest part is that coaches also get very rich. Simeone earns 40 million per year at Atlético de Madrid, and Pep Guardiola earns 24 million at Manchester City. They’ve basically turned into a CEO of the team.

And the clubs? Real Madrid leads with 6.6 billion, followed by Manchester United with 6.5 billion. European football concentrates most of the money, especially in England and Spain. Behind all of that, there are billionaires, investment funds, and royal families injecting capital. Arábia Saudita’s Fundo PIF is practically the owner of Newcastle now.

Basically, the richest player in the world isn’t necessarily the one who earns the most from playing football. It’s about accumulated assets, inheritance, side businesses, and smart investments. Football has become a billion-dollar industry—far beyond what we see on the pitch.