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Football's Wealthiest Club Owners and Highest-Paid Players

Looking at the richest figures behind football clubs, a mix of individuals and investment groups top the list. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns Newcastle United, commands assets estimated at £696 billion according to the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute. This makes it the most financially powerful entity connected to football ownership.

Red Bull GmbH stands out as well, owning majority stakes in six clubs worldwide, including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, and New York Red Bulls. They also hold minority shares in Leeds United and Paris FC. The company’s total worth is around £21.8 billion.

Sheikh Mansour, owner of Manchester City and several other clubs like Melbourne City and New York City FC, is valued individually at approximately £22.6 billion, while his ruling family of the United Arab Emirates holds significantly more wealth.

Among the UK's wealthiest, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a part-owner of Manchester United, comes in with an estimated net worth of £17 billion, even after recent adjustments by the Sunday Times Rich List. David Tepper, who owns Charlotte FC, rounds out this elite group with £16 billion.

  • PIF (Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Newcastle United): £696 billion
  • Sheikh Mansour (Bahia, Girona, Lommel, Manchester City, Melbourne City, Montevideo City Torque, Mumbai City, New York City, Palermo, Shenzhen Peng City, Troyes, Yokohama F. Marinos): £22.6 billion
  • Red Bull GmbH (Leeds United, FC Liefering, New York Red Bulls, Paris FC, RB Leipzig, TV Omiya Ardija, Red Bull Bragantino, Red Bull Salzburg): £21.8 billion
  • Sir Jim Ratcliffe (Manchester United): £17 billion
  • David Tepper (Charlotte FC): £16 billion

Top-Earning Current Footballers

The highest-paid players continue to earn staggering sums, with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the pack. InsiderMedia lists him as the top earner, while Forbes ranks him highest among all athletes globally, with annual earnings of about £218 million.

Lionel Messi follows in second place, pulling in around £103 million. The battle for third spot stirs debate between Neymar and Karim Benzema, who earn roughly £84 million and £79 million respectively. Rising fast is Kylian Mbappe, whose free transfer to Real Madrid has propelled his income to £69 million.

  • Cristiano Ronaldo: £218 million
  • Lionel Messi: £103 million
  • Neymar: £84 million
  • Karim Benzema: £79 million
  • Kylian Mbappe: £69 million

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