Football Wealth: Top Club Owners and Highest-Paid Players

Some of the richest names in football ownership come from a mix of individuals and investment funds. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns Newcastle United, stands out with around 696 billion dollars in assets according to the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute. This makes it one of the largest holders in the sport by far.

Red Bull GmbH also features prominently, holding majority ownership of six clubs worldwide including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, and New York Red Bulls. They have minority stakes in teams such as Leeds United and Paris FC, showcasing their broad football portfolio.

Sheikh Mansour, the driving force behind Manchester City and several other clubs across the globe, is valued at about 22.6 billion dollars himself. His family, who rule the United Arab Emirates, have a net worth far exceeding that figure.

In the UK, Sir Jim Ratcliffe is among the wealthiest individuals involved, holding part ownership of Manchester United. Despite a recent write-down in his estimated net worth to 17 billion dollars, he remains a major figure in football finance.

Other notable wealthy owners include David Tepper, who owns Charlotte FC, with an estimated net worth of 16 billion dollars.

• PIF (Newcastle United, plus Saudi clubs): $696 billion
• Sheikh Mansour (Manchester City and others): $22.6 billion
• Red Bull GmbH (multiple clubs including RB Leipzig, Leeds United): $21.8 billion
• Sir Jim Ratcliffe (Manchester United): $17 billion
• David Tepper (Charlotte FC): $16 billion

Top-Earning Current Football Players

Cristiano Ronaldo tops the earnings charts by a large margin, with insider sources and Forbes estimating his annual income at around 218 million dollars. He remains the highest-paid athlete worldwide across all sports.

Lionel Messi comes next, earning about 103 million dollars, followed by Neymar with 84 million and Karim Benzema earning 79 million dollars. The rankings shift slightly depending on the source, but these four consistently appear at the top.

Kylian Mbappe has surged up the list thanks to his recent free transfer from PSG to Real Madrid, now earning approximately 69 million dollars annually.

• Cristiano Ronaldo: $218 million
• Lionel Messi: $103 million
• Neymar: $84 million
• Karim Benzema: $79 million
• Kylian Mbappe: $69 million