There are a lot of perks to becoming a professional football player. From the glory associated with being a part of some of the world’s biggest clubs, to the adoration of potentially millions of fans, it’s a great career to pursue for those that have a desire to be famous.

Over the last few decades, it’s also a career that’s become known for offering a huge paycheque. In fact, football players, along with pro golfers, are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world of sports. Here we will look at some of the highest-paid football stars on the scene right now.

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney has often found himself in the spotlight thanks to his talent on the field, and for a long time he played as a striker for Manchester United, as well as the national team for England. In a recent survey that was conducted just a few years ago, Rooney was ranked as the world’s 5th best football player, and number 1 within England. Rooney’s total net worth is close to $145 million, a mixture of club payments and endorsement deals.

Dave Whelan

Dave Whelan is a well-known English football player, although he has since retired from the sport. While he was playing, he was best known for being a part of Crewe Alexandra and the Blackburn Rovers. Currently, he owns Wigan Athletic, which is a Football League Championship club, and produces some of the best young stars at the moment. It’s believed that Whelan is worth around $220 million in total.

Lionel Messi

There aren’t that many people that haven’t heard the name of Lionel Messi. Having achieved a near perfect career during his time playing football, many regard the player as the very best in the world. While he’s been described as a smaller man on the field compared to some of his competitors and athletes, he’s incredibly fast and skilled, and not many other players can boast the same level of talent.

He’s been consistently voted as the best player of the year over a number of season, and in 2021, it was revealed that Messi’s net worth is close to $400 million, making him one of the richest athletes in the world, and the kind of cash usually associated with those that play pokies for real money.

David Beckham

Famous English football star that made the biggest splash in the 2000s, he’s most well known for being the first British football player to hold a title league in four different countries. He spent the majority of his life playing the game, and in the early 2000s he was the highest-paid football player of all time. Even though he’s retired, he’s total wealth is still around $450 million.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Lastly, we have Cristiano Ronaldo, a Portuguese footballer that’s often lauded as the best the world has ever seen. Having played for both Real Madrid and Manchester United in one of the most expensive transfers of all time, he has been named as the highest-earning footballer of his generation, having $450 million under his name.