[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"page:what-we-do\u002Fnews-stories\u002Ffifa-world-cup-highest-paid-players":3},{"id":4,"slug":5,"title":6,"short_title":7,"intro_text":8,"meta_description":9,"seo_title":10,"path":11,"content_type":12,"locale":13,"go_live_at":7,"first_published_at":14,"page_created_at":15,"published_at":14,"edit_url":16,"breadcrumbs":17,"seo":25,"body_blocks":33,"call_to_action":126,"categories":133,"labels":135,"show_table_of_contents":56,"show_page_categories":56,"owner":137,"authors":144,"image":75,"show_related_pages":56,"related_pages":146,"related_sites":153,"in_subsite":71,"contact_page_url":154,"banner_message":155},38668,"fifa-world-cup-highest-paid-players","FIFA World Cup 2026: What the Highest-Paid Players Earn Compared to Ordinary Workers",null,"\u003Cp>The highest-paid players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup earn billions of dollars. How does this compare to an ordinary salary?\u003C\u002Fp>","What the highest-paid players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup earn compared to ordinary workers. Elite football players are paid billions of dollars.","Highest-Paid Players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup","\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fnews-stories\u002Ffifa-world-cup-highest-paid-players","pages.newspage","en","2026-07-16T11:43:45.812567+00:00","2026-07-16T11:55:06.445777+00:00","\u002Fcms\u002Fpages\u002F38668\u002Fedit\u002F",[18,21,24],{"title":19,"slug":20},"What We Do","what-we-do",{"title":22,"slug":23},"News and Stories","news-stories",{"title":6,"slug":5},{"title":10,"description":9,"image":26,"canonical":27,"robots":28,"og_type":29,"twitter_card":30,"locale":13,"created_at":31,"last_modified_at":32},"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1144776563.2e16d0ba.fill-1200x630.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fnews-stories\u002Ffifa-world-cup-highest-paid-players\u002F","index, follow","website","summary_large_image","2026-07-16T13:43:45.812567+02:00","2026-07-16T13:55:06.516462+02:00",[34,62,121],{"type":35,"data":36},"composed_content_block",{"blocks":37},[38,43,59],{"type":39,"data":40},"text_block",{"content":41,"variant":42},"\u003Cp>\u003Cb>\u003Ci>16 July 2026\u003C\u002Fi>\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cb>Football salaries\u003C\u002Fb> at the FIFA World Cup 2026 have once again attracted global attention, drawing interest to the enormous earnings of some of\u003Cb> football's biggest stars\u003C\u002Fb>. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is currently being held across the \u003Cb>United States, Canada, and Mexico\u003C\u002Fb>, making history as the first World Cup to be hosted by three countries and being the first to feature 48 teams. According to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fbrettknight\u002F2026\u002F06\u002F10\u002Fthe-highest-paid-players-at-the-2026-world-cup\u002F\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cb>Forbes list\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cb>,\u003C\u002Fb> the \u003Cb>highest-paid players\u003C\u002Fb> at the World Cup have earned hundreds of millions of dollars over the last year.\u003C\u002Fp>","light",{"type":44,"data":45},"images_block",{"title":46,"variant":42,"selected_images":47,"num_cols":55,"show_as_slider":56,"image_fit":57,"image_align":58},"",[48],{"id":49,"title":50,"alt":50,"src":51,"srcset":52,"width":53,"height":54,"caption":46},1889,"wageindicator_1144776563","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1144776563.width-300.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1144776563.width-300.jpg 300w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1144776563.width-600.jpg 600w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1144776563.width-1200.jpg 1200w",4200,2800,1,true,"cover","middle",{"type":39,"data":60},{"content":61,"variant":42},"\u003Ch2>Who Are the Highest-Paid Players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Among the highest earners at the tournament are (\u003Cb>monthly salary approximates\u003C\u002Fb>):\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cb>Cristiano Ronaldo\u003C\u002Fb> (Portugal) –\u003Cb> $ 25 million\u003C\u002Fb> per month ($300 million a year)\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cb>Lionel Messi\u003C\u002Fb> (Argentina) –\u003Cb> $ 11.7 million\u003C\u002Fb> per month ($140 million a year)\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cb>Kylian Mbappé\u003C\u002Fb> (France) – \u003Cb>$ 7.9 million\u003C\u002Fb> per month ($95 million a year)\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cb>Erling Haaland\u003C\u002Fb> (Norway) –\u003Cb>$ 6.7 million\u003C\u002Fb> per month ($80 million a year)\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cb>Vinícius Júnior\u003C\u002Fb> (Brazil) – \u003Cb>$ 4.6 million\u003C\u002Fb> per month ($60 million a year)\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cb>Mohamed Salah\u003C\u002Fb> (Egypt) –\u003Cb> $ 4.5 million\u003C\u002Fb> per month ($55 million a year)\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Ch2>Comparing football salaries to Ordinary jobs\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Ci>How do football salaries compare with ordinary workers' pay?\u003C\u002Fi>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>According to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fen-us\u002Fwork-in-usa\u002Fsalary\u002Fcheck#\u002F\">\u003Cb>Salary Check USA\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cb>,\u003C\u002Fb> a \u003Cb>clinical nurse\u003C\u002Fb> earns between \u003Cb>USD 3,604 and USD 6,114 per month\u003C\u002Fb>, with a midpoint salary of \u003Cb>USD 4,611\u003C\u002Fb>. An \u003Cb>accountant\u003C\u002Fb> earns between \u003Cb>USD 3,592 and USD 7,198 per month\u003C\u002Fb>, with a midpoint of \u003Cb>USD 5,119\u003C\u002Fb>, and a \u003Cb>plumber\u003C\u002Fb> earns between \u003Cb>USD 2,941 and USD 5,610 per month\u003C\u002Fb>, with a midpoint of \u003Cb>USD 4,117\u003C\u002Fb>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Looking at monthly earnings per player side by side highlights the scale of the difference:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cb>Cristiano Ronaldo's monthly income of USD 25 million\u003C\u002Fb> is enough to cover the monthly salaries of more than \u003Cb>5,400 clinical nurses\u003C\u002Fb> earning the midpoint salary.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cb>Lionel Messi's monthly earnings of USD 11.7 million\u003C\u002Fb> exceed the combined monthly payroll of more than \u003Cb>2,200 accountants\u003C\u002Fb> earning the midpoint salary.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cb>Kylian Mbappé's monthly earnings of USD 7.9 million\u003C\u002Fb> would fund a month's wages for around \u003Cb>1,900 plumbers\u003C\u002Fb> earning the midpoint salary.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cb>Erling Haaland's monthly earnings of USD 6.7 million\u003C\u002Fb> would cover monthly salaries of around \u003Cb>1,450 clinical nurses\u003C\u002Fb>, earning a midpoint salary.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Ch2>What Football Salaries Tell Us\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cb>Global Industry\u003C\u002Fb> — Football is one of the world's largest entertainment industries, generating billions of dollars a year from broadcasting rights, sponsorships and ticket revenue .\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cb>Multiple Income Streams\u003C\u002Fb> — Top players salaries include earnings from sponsorships, endorsements and image rights having commercial value.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cb>Salary Comparison\u003C\u002Fb> — The gap between elite sports earnings and ordinary wages is among the largest in any profession.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cb>Labour Market Context\u003C\u002Fb> — Most workers earn salaries determined by local demand, while footballers compete in a global market.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cb>Income Distribution\u003C\u002Fb> — Only a small number of athletes hold a large share of the financial value generated by the sport.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cb>World Cup Economics\u003C\u002Fb> — From a business standpoint the worldcup, according to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Finside.fifa.com\u002Forganisation\u002Fmedia-releases\u002Ffifa-wto-study-estimates-usd-47-billion-economic-output-from-fifa-club-world\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cb>Inside FIFA\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fa>, could contribute up to $40.9 billion to global GDP, generate $8.3 billion in social benefits, and support nearly 824,000 full-time jobs worldwide. Thus highlighting the \u003Cb>impact of the economic footprint from FIFA.\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>The Business of Modern Football\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>The FIFA World Cup 2026 is not only a showcase of sporting talent but also a reminder of the vast differences that exist between industries.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>While ordinary workers' salaries are largely determined by national\u003Cb> labour markets\u003C\u002Fb> and professional demand, \u003Cb>elite footballers\u003C\u002Fb> compete in an \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fen-us\u002Fwork-in-usa\u002Fsalary\u002Fvip\u002F\">\u003Cb>international entertainment industry\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fa> that generates billions of dollars through sponsorships, endorsements, image and broadcasting rights, merchandise sales and ticket revenue.\u003C\u002Fp>",{"type":63,"data":64},"latest_page_items_block",{"title":65,"link":66,"link_description":69,"variant":70,"show_item_images":56,"show_categories":71,"show_as_slider":71,"items":72},"More News and Stories",{"id":67,"short_title":7,"title":22,"url":68},24642,"\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fnews-stories","View All Stories","dark",false,[73,86,104],{"title":6,"short_title":7,"intro_text":8,"link":74,"categories":76,"labels":80,"image":85,"go_live_at":7,"first_published_at":14,"page_created_at":15,"published_at":14},{"id":4,"short_title":7,"title":6,"url":11,"image":75},"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1144776563.width-400.jpg",[77],{"id":55,"slug":78,"name":79},"salary","Salary",[81],{"id":82,"slug":83,"name":84},3,"blogs","Blogs","\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1144776563.width-400.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1144776563.width-400.jpg 400w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1144776563.width-800.jpg 800w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1144776563.width-1200.jpg 1200w\" alt=\"wageindicator_1144776563\">",{"title":87,"short_title":7,"intro_text":88,"link":89,"categories":93,"labels":97,"image":101,"go_live_at":7,"first_published_at":102,"page_created_at":103,"published_at":102},"Minimum Wage Updates: Latest Changes and New Rates","\u003Cp>What has been the Minimum Wage increase in Argentina? What happened to the hourly rate in the U.S. Virgin Islands? Quick updates from all around the world\u003C\u002Fp>",{"id":90,"short_title":7,"title":87,"url":91,"image":92},38677,"\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fnews-stories\u002Fminimum-wage-updates","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_180137912.width-400.jpg",[94],{"id":82,"slug":95,"name":96},"minimum-wage","Minimum Wage",[98],{"id":55,"slug":99,"name":100},"news","News","\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_180137912.width-400.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_180137912.width-400.jpg 400w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_180137912.width-800.jpg 800w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_180137912.width-1200.jpg 1200w\" alt=\"wageindicator_180137912\">","2026-07-15T12:00:19.481687+00:00","2026-07-15T12:02:21.917879+00:00",{"title":105,"short_title":7,"intro_text":106,"link":107,"categories":111,"labels":116,"image":118,"go_live_at":7,"first_published_at":119,"page_created_at":120,"published_at":119},"Brazilian barbecues and football: churrasco hit by rising food costs at the worst possible time","\u003Cp>As Bloomberg reports soaring beef prices, WageIndicator's Cost of Living data also shows other rising costs across the South American giant.\u003C\u002Fp>",{"id":108,"short_title":7,"title":105,"url":109,"image":110},38675,"\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fnews-stories\u002Fworld-cup-brazil","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002FBrazilian_barbecues_and_football_Hh5OEUa.width-400.jpg",[112],{"id":113,"slug":114,"name":115},4,"living-wage","Living Wage",[117],{"id":82,"slug":83,"name":84},"\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002FBrazilian_barbecues_and_football_Hh5OEUa.width-400.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002FBrazilian_barbecues_and_football_Hh5OEUa.width-400.jpg 400w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002FBrazilian_barbecues_and_football_Hh5OEUa.width-800.jpg 800w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002FBrazilian_barbecues_and_football_Hh5OEUa.width-1200.jpg 1200w\" alt=\"Brazilian barbecues and football\">","2026-07-14T07:22:38.509080+00:00","2026-07-14T07:22:38.418737+00:00",{"type":122,"data":123},"newsletter_block",{"title":124,"description":125,"variant":42,"link_to_terms":7},"Sign up now for more","Subscribe for the latest on salaries, Living and Minimum Wages, collective agreements, and the platform economy. Know what's next:",{"text":127,"link":128},"Contact us",{"title":127,"url":129,"description":127,"rel":130,"type":131,"id":132},"\u002Fabout\u002Fcontact","follow","internal",24590,[134],{"id":55,"slug":78,"name":79},[136],{"id":82,"slug":83,"name":84},{"id":138,"first_name":139,"last_name":140,"email":141,"image":142,"function":143,"external":71},23,"Valeria","Tonella","valeriatonella@wageindicator.org","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002FValeria-Tonella-ED.width-400.jpg","Data & Communications Specialist - Europe",[145],{"id":138,"first_name":139,"last_name":140,"email":141,"image":142,"function":143,"external":71},[147,152],{"id":148,"short_title":7,"title":149,"url":150,"image":151},38150,"As food and housing prices rise across Mexico, could the World Cup push them up even further?","\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fnews-stories\u002Fworld-cup-mexico-cost-of-living","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_134049626.width-400.jpg",{"id":108,"short_title":7,"title":105,"url":109,"image":110},[],"\u002Fwork\u002Fliving-wages\u002Fcontact-us","\u003Cp>Welcome to WageIndicator. Same organisation, same information, new look!\u003C\u002Fp>"]