With the 2026 World Cup fast approaching on the horizon, it’s still impossible to know which team will go all the way this summer. One certainty, however, is that the finest players on the planet will be doing their best to make the difference.

The likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have gone into past tournaments as the biggest talents on show, but a newer generation – made up of stars such as Lamine Yamal, Erling Haaland and two-time finalist Kylian Mbappe – will be just as closely watched this summer. It will be fascinating to see which individual has the biggest impact.

Whoever helps guide their nation to glory will forever be revered in their homeland. And with that level of respect will come great financial reward. Of course, as money is so key in modern football, many of the key stars are already incredibly wealthy.

With that in mind, as reported by the Sun, here are the 10 richest footballers going to the 2026 World Cup, according to their net worth.

10

James Rodriguez (Colombia) – £59m

It won’t feel like a true World Cup until fans get a flash of Colombia hero James Rodriguez in that famous yellow kit. After all, it was at the 2014 tournament where he announced himself as a global superstar, bagging the Golden Boot after netting six goals in Brazil.

That success helped him secure a mega-money move to Real Madrid, while he has since played for the likes of Bayern Munich and Everton. Rodriguez​​​​​​, now 34, plays for MLS side Minnesota United, which has helped contribute to his £59m​ net worth. Despite some recent health issues, he’ll hope to make a positive impact for his country this summer.

9

Erling Haaland (Norway) – £59m

Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Haaland is one of the best goal scorers on the planet right now and goes into the tournament as the joint-most valuable player in terms of transfer estimation. He’s currently the highest-paid player in the Premier League, so it’s no shock to see him make it onto this list.

They say putting the ball in the back of the net is the hardest thing to do in football, but Haaland makes that look easy, with 162 goals in 198 games for Man City. Stats like that are why, at still only 25 years old, the striker is said to make over half a million pounds every week for his club.

8

Riyad Mahrez (Algeria) – £63m

Riyad Mahrez established himself as one of the brightest wingers on the planet during his Premier League title-winning season at Leicester City. He’s since played for two clubs that were more than willing to offer him large sums of money to join.

Indeed, he first joined Man City and spent five seasons at the Etihad, winning four Premier League titles. He then joined Al-Ahli in 2023, and the Saudi Pro League have made him the eighth-best-paid player at the tournament. This will be just his second World Cup, having first featured in the competition for Algeria over a decade ago in 2014.

7

Son Heung-min (South Korea) – £74m

Some look at Son Heung-min and wonder why he spent so long at Tottenham Hotspur, failing to win the trophies a player of his talent deserved. However, he departed in 2025, having finally got his hands on a Europa League title, before then joining Los Angeles FC.

In fairness, if the South Korean does have any regrets about his career, they likely won’t relate to the financial side of things. Now 33, the MLS star is among the richest footballers in the world with a £74m net worth. A superstar representative of Asian football, he’ll have no shortage of brand deals even as his status as an elite player begins to wind down.

6

Mohamed Salah (Egypt) – £104m

Mohamed Salah is now set to leave Liverpool after a stunning career at Anfield. The good news for whoever he joins is that he will arrive as a free transfer, the bad news is that he will cost a huge amount in wages. After all, his final contract with the Reds saw him pick up a reported £400,000-per-week.

Salah certainly earned such a big contract, firing the English giants to their first two Premier League titles, as well as a Champions League and multiple other cups. Now 33, it remains to be seen how much longer he has left at the highest level. His performances for Egypt this summer could give a good indication of that.

5

Harry Kane (England) – £110m

There are very few better players on the planet than Harry Kane right now, even the player has backed himself among the favourites to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or. With 61 goals and seven assists in 51 games, it’s hard to argue against the Englishman’s theory that he just needs a World Cup trophy to make himself the frontrunner.

His status as the Three Lions’ record goalscorer, with 74 strikes, has helped make him a household name across Britain, and it’s no surprise that vast riches have subsequently followed. With a net worth of £110m, there are few active players on the planet as well off financially – and only four who are going to the World Cup this summer.

4

Kylian Mbappe (France) – £186m

Kylian Mbappe has been France’s key man at the past two World Cups. He scored in the 2018 final as his nation lifted the trophy, while he then became just the second player in history to net a hat-trick in a final as the French were beaten by Argentina in 2022.

He established himself at Monaco but was swiftly picked up by Paris Saint-Germain, before joining Real Madrid in 2024. While the major toprhies he no doubt dreamed of have not yet followed in the Spanish capital, he certainly won’t have to worry about money any time soon. His various contracts over the years have seen him make £186m.

3

Neymar (Brazil) – £334m

There were major doubts that Neymar would even make the Brazil squad but Carlo Ancelotti decided to take a chance on the ageing winger. Now 34, he’s hardly the player he once was, but there can be no doubting his talent.

More than anything, it’s a question of fitness with the player, and having suffered a recent grade two muscle injury in his right calf, he faces a race against time to be involved this summer. Worth a whopping £334m, Neymar would likely trade a huge chunk of his personal wealth just to get his hands on the World Cup trophy.

2

Lionel Messi (Argentina) – £742m

Lionel Messi has long been viewed by many as the greatest footballer of all time. Those who were on the fence may well have been swayed by his World Cup-winning display in 2022, as he led Argentina to glory with seven goals and three assists. Now 38, it will be fascinating to see how he gets on this summer.

One advantage he has is that he will be acclimated to the conditions, having been playing for MLS side Inter Miami since 2023. The US club offered Messi a huge wage to get him on board, which has significantly boosted his net worth. The living legend is likely to bow out from international football after the tournament, so fans best enjoy him while they still can.

1

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – £1bn

Although most view Messi as the best based on pure footballing talent, Cristiano Ronaldo tends to rank above him when it comes to the financial side of the game. This list is no exception to that rule, with the 41-year-old the only player at the 2026 World Cup who is worth over a billion pounds.

Ronaldo really made a name for himself at Manchester United before joining Real Madrid. His best years were spent at those two clubs, but he’s kept chipping away at all sorts of goal-scoring records across spells at Juventus, a return to Old Trafford, and now in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr. Essentially, all he has left to win in his career is the World Cup, and this is likely his final chance to achieve that goal. Predict strong emotions, whatever the outcome.

Figures via the Sun – 07/06/26