Kylian Mbappé tops earning charts ahead of 2025 Club World Cup

Kylian Mbappé will arrive at the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States as the highest-paid player in the tournament, surpassing the likes of Erling Haaland and Vinícius Júnior in the earnings table.

Now donning the Real Madrid shirt, the French striker is reported to earn an annual salary of €32 million, not including bonuses or commercial deals.

According to data compiled by a specialist in sports economics, this figure places Mbappé firmly at the top of the tournament’s highest-paid footballers.

His Real Madrid teammate Vinícius Júnior follows closely behind with a reported annual salary of €30 million, just behind Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, who earns €30.8 million.

The list further highlights Real Madrid’s financial clout, with six of their stars ranking among the top 15 earners.

These include David Alaba (€22.5m), Jude Bellingham (€20.8m), and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (€19.2m).

The competition, to be staged for the first time with 32 participating clubs, not only promises thrilling football but also brings together a wealth of talent and extraordinary salaries.

Outside of European clubs, Lionel Messi is the only representative on the list.

The Inter Miami forward, despite playing in Major League Soccer, remains one of the sport’s most bankable stars.

His annual earnings of €17.7 million secure him a place among the top 20 highest-paid players in the tournament.

Bayern Munich also boasts a strong presence, with multiple players featured, including Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala (each at €25.2m), as well as veterans like Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller, both earning just under €20 million per year.

This year’s Club World Cup is not only a showcase of elite footballing talent but also a display of the sport’s financial magnitude, as global superstars prepare to battle on American soil in one of the most commercially powerful editions of the tournament to date.

Top 20 highest-paid players at the 2025 Club World Cup:

1. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) – €32M
2. Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – €30.8M
3. Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) – €30M
4. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) – €25.2M
5. Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich) – €25.2M
6. David Alaba (Real Madrid) – €22.5M
7. Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) – €20.8M
8. Jan Oblak (Atlético Madrid) – €20M
9. Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) – €19.92M
10. Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich) – €19.92M
11. Dušan Vlahović (Juventus) – €19.44M
12. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) – €19.2M
13. Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid) – €18.6M
14. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) – €18.4M
15. Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain) – €18M
16. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) – €17.7M
17. Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich) – €17.04M
18. Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich) – €17.04M
19. Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich) – €17.04M
20. Min-jae Kim (Bayern Munich) – €16M