Cristiano Ronaldo Tops Global Weekly Salary Rankings as Lionel Messi Slips to 13th

Cristiano Ronaldo has maintained his position as the highest-paid footballer globally by weekly base salary, while Lionel Messi has dropped to 13th place in the latest earnings rankings.

Data compiled by Capology reveals that Ronaldo takes home an estimated £3.42 million every week at Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, placing him comfortably ahead of Al-Ittihad striker Karim Benzema, who earns roughly £2.01 million weekly. The figures underscore the heavy financial footprint of the Saudi league, which accounts for six spots among the world’s top 15 earners.

Domestically, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland leads the Premier League with a weekly base salary of £525,000, followed by Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé at £512,992. Meanwhile, Messi’s earnings at Inter Miami place him further down the list at £360,876 per week. These figures focus purely on estimated base wages, omitting performance bonuses, image rights, and commercial deals.