Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo overtaken in Forbes' top 10 highest-paid players

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been knocked off their perch on football’s rich list.

For the past nine years, either member of the superstar duo has finished top of Forbes’ annual list ranking the highest-paid footballers in the business – but their streak has finally come to an end.

That’s because none other than Kylian Mbappe has topped the latest iteration of the top 10 to become the first player other than Ronaldo or Messi to take top spot since David Beckham back in 2013.

Not only is Mbappe widely touted as a future Ballon d’Or winner set to become the seminal player of his generation, but he also happens to be paid an absolute fortune along the way.

After all, this is the man who signed a lucrative new contract at Paris Saint-Germain in the summer said to include all manner of head-spinning clauses in order to ward off Real Madrid.

Marry that to his burgeoning social media influence as well as his growing number of commercial deals and it quickly becomes apparent that we have a new kid on the footballing Monopoly board.

But before we get too carried away, let’s break things down, because it’s always fascinating to see how Forbes’ annual list breaks down the state of play in the beautiful game.

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Well, first and foremost, it’s important to explain that the figures provided in the list are what Forbes estimates each player will earn across the 2022/23 season before taxes and agents’ fees.

Most engrossing of all is the fact that this not only factors in the players’ wages, but also the estimated pay packets they take home from all their various sponsorship endeavours.

Everything from licensing to appearances and memorabilia to personal businesses are also included in the