In brief
The ten largest football contracts in history have been made public.
Erling Haaland is rising in the rankings thanks to his new nine-and-a-half-year contract with Manchester City.
Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Cristiano Ronaldo all make several appearances.
Thirty, twenty, or even ten years ago, the money in football would have been unthinkable in the twenty-first century. The players of some of the world’s most prestigious clubs are among the wealthiest in all of sport because of the money they earn from sponsorship deals and media rights.
Since most top leagues no longer have salary limitations, teams are coming up with innovative ways to provide rich contracts. For example, Chelsea signed Cole Palmer to a deal that lasted over ten years. The people at Planet Football have compiled a list of the 12 largest contracts in football history, with some players being lucky enough to make two appearances, because of the outrageous salaries that are being offered these days.
The Top 12 Highest Paying Contracts in Football History
Rank
The player
Club
Length
Value in pounds
1.
Lionel Messi
Barcelona
2017–2021
464.3 meters
2.
Benzema Karim
Al-Ittihad
2023–2026
451.6 meters
3.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Al-Nassr
2023–2025
428 meters
4.
Haaland, Erling
City of Manchester
2025–2034
370.6m
5.
Kylian Mbappe
PSG
2022-2024
354.6 meters
6.
Neymar
Al-Hilal
2023–2025
276m
7.
Kylian Mbappe
Real Madrid
2024-2029
258.3m
8.
Neymar
PSG
2017-2023
233m
9.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid
2016-2021
185.7m
10.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Juventus
2018-2022
185.7m
11.
Gareth Bale
Real Madrid
2016-2022
150.2m
12.
Paul Pogba
Manchester United
2016-2021
95.4m
12Paul Pogba
Manchester United – 2016-2021 – £95.4 million
Paul Pogba was an unquestionable failure upon his return to Manchester United, and the Red Devils’ expenditure of almost £100 million for his contract was undoubtedly not justified by his performances and lack of consistency. The Frenchman joined Juventus for free after growing up in the United youth system. He was predicted to contend for the Ballon d’Or when he made his victorious comeback.
Old Trafford hasn’t been a good place for players to flourish lately, as history has proven, but Pogba didn’t help himself with his attitude, desires to leave, and persistent injury problems. Due to a doping ban that he will shortly serve after having his sentence lowered on appeal, things have regrettably not gotten better for him since he departed either.
11Gareth Bale
Real Madrid – 2016-2022 – £150.2 million
By the end of his Real Madrid career, Gareth Bale wasn’t exactly the most popular player at the Santiago Bernabeu, and his final deal, which was worth over £150 million while he was struggling with fitness, most likely contributed to that. He was nevertheless able to accomplish a respectable amount throughout that time, though.
His double against Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final, which included one of the most incredible goals in European football history via his incredible bicycle kick, was the high point of his career. The record books will reveal that, despite the idea that Bale’s priorities were “Wales, golf, and Real Madrid,” in that order, Los Blancos most likely received all they could have hoped for from the Welshman when he was a member of the team.
10Cristiano Ronaldo
Juventus – 2018-2022 – £185.7 million
Even though Cristiano Ronaldo was already well into his thirties in 2018, his ability to perform at the highest level of the game led Juventus to believe he was the final component needed to win the Champions League after years of narrow defeats.
In order to persuade the Portuguese superstar to make the transfer, they were prepared to pay a total of over £185 million. Although Ronaldo was still scoring goals, it was at the Allianz Arena that hints of his declining skills started to appear. He was unable to lead the Old Lady to European success, and in retrospect, Juventus’ current financial problems likely make this agreement a mistake.
9Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid – 2016-2021 – £185.7 million
It was like deja vu. Another £185.7 million contract for Ronaldo. Furthermore, the marksman’s appearance on this list will not be the last.
The legendary number seven was at the top of his game when he signed this new contract with Real Madrid. He was expected to lead Madrid to three straight Champions League titles and win back-to-back Ballon d’Ors. Despite having a long list of legendary opponents to contend with, Ronaldo was already widely regarded as the club’s best player of all time. He obviously didn’t finish his deal, leaving only two years left, but Madrid was prepared to pay him far into his later years if he had stayed.
8Neymar
Paris Saint-Germain – 2017-2023 – £233 million
On paper, the agreement that saw Neymar join Paris Saint-Germain seemed ideal. The Brazilian was eager to show that he could be the greatest player in the world and to emerge from Lionel Messi’s shadow at Barcelona. The Ligue 1 powerhouses, meanwhile, were searching for the great player who could lead them to European success.
Although the two parties’ goals appeared to be complementary, neither one was actually achieved. Neymar’s recurring ailments and lack of local competitive spirit hurt his prospects of ever winning the Ballon d’Or, while the Parisians’ closest run to a Champions League title was their runners-up result in 2020. Things had drastically worsened on both sides by the time the relationship ended.
7Kylian Mbappe
Real Madrid – 2024-2029 – £258.3 million
The fact that Kylian Mbappe will eventually join Real Madrid was the worst-kept secret in football. Many people thought the switch would occur sooner, but it didn’t for reasons that will become clearer later in this list. However, the story finally ended in 2024.
The Frenchman hasn’t exactly been up to par since then. The other Galacticos around him have outperformed him, and in his first few months, manager Carlo Ancelotti named him the club’s worst problem. Mbappe will earn a cool £258.3 million in the Spanish city if he remains until 2029, and both parties will hope the forward returns to his best form soon.
6Neymar
Al-Hilal – 2023-2025 – £276 million
Neymar’s transfer to Al-Hilal is even more of a disaster by all standards than his successful move to PSG. The Brazilian essentially gave up his top-tier career in 2023 when he joined a number of well-known athletes who relocated to the Middle East.
The winger suffered an ACL injury within a few games, and even after returning, he has had trouble contributing and has been placed back on the sidelines. Since his contract is about to expire, it appears like Al-Hilal has little interest in extending it. A move to Major League Soccer appears to be imminent, which would probably require Neymar to accept a significant wage cut.
5Kylian Mbappe
Paris Saint-Germain – 2022-2024 – £354.6 million
Although it was mentioned previously, this is the reason why Mbappe’s proposed transfer to Real Madrid was not completed two years sooner. In an attempt to persuade him to stay in Paris, PSG offered him everything except the kitchen sink.
The striker would reportedly earn £1 million a week, but there were also claims that he would have a voice in the club’s transfer policy and that he was the driving force behind Leonardo Nascimento’s dismissal as director of football. Additionally, because the contract was so short-term, Mbappe would soon be permitted to speak with Madrid once more, which is precisely how events transpired.
4Erling Haaland
Manchester City – 2025-2034 – £370.6 million
A period of 9 and a half years. Erling Haaland’s new contract with Manchester City is for that long. By the time it’s over, the 34-year-old Norwegian will have dedicated his best years to the Cityzens and beyond.
In order to avoid financial fair play consequences, clubs are increasingly extending their contracts over far longer periods of time. Players run the risk, though, of being stuck in that agreement with no apparent way out if things don’t work out. Haaland must be optimistic that City’s current problems will be resolved immediately.
3Cristiano Ronaldo
Al-Nassr – 2023-2025 – £428 million
The top level of football was gradually moving on from CR7, therefore it was time for the Portuguese player to capitalise on his enormous name value as one of the game’s most well-known players. Al-Nassr paid over £400 million for a two-and-a-half-year contract with the 37-year-old because of this.
Even if he hasn’t yet won the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo’s actions have inspired many other European football stars to choose to follow in his footsteps and become as wealthy as the legendary player. Therefore, the agreement has unquestionably been successful for Saudi Arabia, regardless of the figures.
2Karim Benzema
Al-Ittihad – 2023-2026 – £451.6 million
Karim Benzema’s reputation couldn’t have been any greater when he decided it was time to join his old teammate in the Middle East and switch from Los Blancos to Al-Ittihad, having demonstrated that he could manage one of the largest teams in the world after Ronaldo left Real Madrid. The three-year agreement was valued at over half a billion euros, but given the current state of affairs, it can be considered a disappointment.
Fans have not taken to Benzema to be critical of his work ethic and attitude. The midfielder reportedly had a falling out with previous boss Nuno Espírito Santo and wanted to leave. Since then, things have improved somewhat, and it appears like the striker will finish out his contract, but things haven’t gone as many people had hoped.
1Lionel Messi
Barcelona – 2017-2021 – £464.3 million
The players who receive the most compensation are typically the best. As a result, it is entirely appropriate that the best boot lacer ever tops this list. However, was it worthwhile for Barcelona to spend so much money on Lionel Messi at that point in his career?
Los Cules had long since moved on from their dominance of Europe, and the Argentine had not been playing at his best. The agreement would ultimately lead to the club’s current dire financial circumstances and also made it impossible for them to retain Messi after his contract expired. They still had to take the action they took in 2017. Letting Messi go at that point would have been disastrous for other reasons as well because he was Barcelona. The fact that there was no obvious right or incorrect response made it a true double-edged sword for the Catalan group.
