There is plenty of excitement growing ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The tournament, which will be co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico, begins when the latter face South Africa on 11 June. It will then end on 19 July with the final held in New Jersey.

At this stage, it’s hard to call who might be crowned champions. Argentina won in 2022, and so will be among the favourites. As will Spain, who lifted the Euro 2024 trophy two summers ago. They beat England in that final, and Thomas Tuchel’s men will be desperate to win the prize for the first time since 1966.

The likes of France and Germany found glory in 2018 and 2014, and it certainly wouldn’t be wise to rule them out. The Netherlands and Portugal could also be in with a shot of winning the World Cup for the first time in their history.

In modern football, the teams that spend the most money on player wages often get rewarded with the big trophies. Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, for example, dominate in Germany and France thanks to the huge salaries they can dish out. With that in mind, perhaps to give a clue as to which teams will have the most success this summer, here are the best-paid players going to the 2026 World Cup.

10

Harry Kane (England) – £32.2m Per Year

There are few players better in the world right now than Harry Kane. In fact, going into the World Cup, he may well be the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or. With 61 club goals to his name this term, if he can fire England to glory in the United States, he will surely get his hands on that coveted individual prize.

The Bayern Munich striker has already won a domestic double in Germany, and as one of the modern greats, it’s no surprise that he goes into the summer tournament as one of the best-paid footballers. The early stages of his career were full of pain, missing out on trophy after trophy, but he’s turned into a real winner since leaving Tottenham, which could bode well for the Three Lions.

9

Sadio Mane (Senegal) – £37.3m Per Year

He may now be 34 and past his best – when he used to dominate on the flank for Liverpool – but Al-Nassr still value Sadio Mane highly enough to give him a substage annual wage of £37.3m per year. With 14 goals and nine assists to his name in 34 games this term, he’s still contributing a great deal.

Indeed, he was vital in helping his team win the Saudi Pro League in 2025/26 and scored twice with two more assists as Senegal won AFCON before having their title stripped from them in controversial fashion. He’ll hope for as much success, but far less drama this summer.

8

Riyad Mahrez (Algeria) – £39.9m Per Year

Premier League fans will remember Riyad Mahrez fondly for his breakout in Leicester City’s iconic title-winning team, before he then went on to even bigger things at Manchester City. Like many on this list, the experienced winger is now playing in the Saudi Pro League, making an absolute killing.

The Al-Ahli star, on £39.9m per year, has not played in the World Cup since 2014, where he managed just one appearance. Still a key man for Algeria, their captain no less, the 35-year-old will aim to get out of Group J this summer, with games against Argentina, Austria and Jordan to deal with.

7

Mohamed Salah (Egypt) – £40.3m Per Year

Just days after Egypt’s final Group G game, against Iran on 27 June, Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool contract will officially expire. At which point, he will evolve from a club star of the present to a true Anfield legend of the past. Until then, however, he remains one of the best-paid footballers in the world, raking in a tidy £40.3m.

He’s certainly earned such fair financial rewards for his efforts over the past decade, winning two Premier League titles, a Champions League, and a whole lot more with the Reds. Having played in just two World Cup matches before, both in 2018, the 33-year-old likely won’t get another chance to shine at the game’s biggest tournament. Don’t be surprised if he goes out with a bang.

6

Vinicius Junior (Brazil) – £43.2m Per Year

The biggest question for Vinicius Junior this summer will be about his international form. After all, the Real Madrid star has never quite been able to deliver the best version of himself for Brazil. Just eight goals in 47 caps is a meek return for a player of such enormous talent.

While having to somewhat play second-fiddle to Kylian Mbappe at Madrid – more on the Frenchman later – Vinicius is more than fairly rewarded for his efforts in the Spanish capital. A whopping £43.2m annual salary makes him one of the best-paid players on the planet. Only time will tell if he can look that valuable at the World Cup this year.

5

Neymar (Brazil) – £44.7m Per Year

For a long time, there were major doubts about whether Neymar would even be involved at the 2026 World Cup. Although the greatest Brazilian of his generation, the 34-year-old’s career has long been on the slide. A disastrous spell in the Saudi Pro League came to an end in 2025, and he’s since been able to get regular football under his belt at Santos, where he makes a whopping £44.7 million per year.

Despite a few fitness concerns, six goals and four assists in all competitions this term have been enough to tempt Carlo Ancelotti into a somewhat risky call-up. Neymar has not yet won the World Cup, and this will surely be his final chance. For all his flaws, though, if anyone can do something special for Brazil on the biggest stage, it might just be him.

4

Erling Haaland (Norway) – £58.1m Per Year

For many, Norway represented a bit of a dark horse at the 2026 World Cup. After all, they dominated their qualifying group, winning all eight of their games. With Martin Odegaard and Alexander Sorloth in the team, there is plenty of talent, but Erling Haaland is the undoubted superstar.

In 49 games for his country, he has already smashed in 55 goals, and more will surely come this summer with games to come against Iraq, Senegal and France in Group I. His form is just as impressive for Manchester City, which explains why he is the best-paid Premier League footballer, making £58.1 million per year.

3

Kylian Mbappe (France) – £71m Per Year

Kylian Mbappe’s standing in the game is largely built upon his brilliance at the 2018 World Cup. Still only 18 at the time, he announced himself as the next genuine global superstar, scoring in the final as France beat Croatia. Four years later, he shone once more, this time becoming only the second player to net a hat-trick in the final – after England’s Geoff Hurst – although Argentina won the game on penalties.

Since his move to Real Madrid two seasons ago, there can be no doubting Mbappe’s talent, but he’s been unable to deliver a league or Champions League title in Spain. As such, there have been some questions about a possible negative impact he has on the team. That’s the sort of pressure you face when you are one of the best-paid players on the planet. The Frenchman will look to remind everyone of his quality this summer at his third World Cup.

2

Lionel Messi (Argentina) £96.9m Per Year

For many, Lionel Messi proved himself to be the undisputed greatest footballer of all time at the 2022 World Cup. The Argentine led his nation to glory for the first time in his career, with seven goals in Qatar, including two in the final vs France.

There’s not much to say about Messi, which hasn’t already been said a thousand times before, but if he can deliver another World Cup this summer, his legacy will somehow reach even greater heights. Having spent the past few years in MLS with Inter Miami, he’ll be well acclimated to the soaring temperatures, which may give him an edge even at his late age.

1

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – £194m Per Year

There are no points for guessing who the best-paid player in the world is. Indeed, that honour is held by Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s given so much attention to the Saudi Pro League in recent years, but that sort of publicity doesn’t come for cheap. Indeed, Al-Nassr pay the forward £194m per year for his services – that breaks down at a mind-blowing £3,730,769 per week, or £531,507 per day.

At this stage of his career, Ronaldo has won essentially everything on offer in football, except for the World Cup. There’s a good chance that he would give most of the honours in his trophy cabinet back if it just meant he could lift this one big prize with Portugal. Now 41, this will almost certainly be his final shot at glory.

Stats via Sportico and FootballFanCast – correct as of 31/05/26