Cristiano Ronaldo's impact visible as Saudi Pro League ranked number 1 league in Asia
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Football headlines were last month awash with news of the monstrous contract that Kylian Mbappe had received from Saudi Arabia club Al-Hilal.
Had he accepted the deal, he would have earned a staggering 700 million euros in one year, which roughly translates to 22 euros every second.
But as that happened, the FIFA Women's World Cup has been off to a promising start in Australia and New Zealand.
Admittedly, there is still a huge gap between the men's game and women's game, but going by the numbers and performances at the latest edition of the World Cup, the latter is on the right trajectory, but more needs to be done.
Cristiano Ronaldo's impact visible as Saudi Pro League ranked number 1 league in Asia
FootballWith Mbappe a signature away from landing the most lucrative deal in history, Sports Brief takes a look at the best-paid female footballers who are currently Down Under.
The United States' Alex Morgan leads the list of the best-paid stars, with the San Diego Wave striker raking in 800,000 dollars per year in the National Women’s Soccer League. She then earns an additional 6.3 million dollars in endorsements.
Her fellow international strike partner Megan Rapinoe is arguably the most influential figure in women's football. The OL Reign striker's estimated earnings stand at 7 million dollars.
The list is dominated by United States players, given their landmark agreement with the country's federation that they will receive equal pay as the men's team. As Forbes explains, the women's team also receive a part of the World Cup prize money of the men's team.
New Zealand claim historic win in record-breaking World Cup opener
FootballThe men's team received 6.5 million dollars for reaching the round of 16 of Qatar 2022, which was more than the money the women's team received for their World Cup wins in 2015 and 2019 combined.
For this reason, United States players earn more than their counterparts in other countries. Coupled up with their off-field earnings in endorsements, they are the best-paid players at the World Cup.
Spain's Alexia Putellas is the only non-American in the top 10, with the two-time Ballon d'Or winner earning 4 million dollars cumulatively, placing her third on the list.
Rank | Player | Country | Estimated earnings(in dollars) |
1 | Alex Morgan | United States | 7.1m |
2 | Megan Rapinoe | United States | 7m |
3 | Alexia Putellas | Spain | 4m |
4 | Trinity Rodman | United States | 2.3m |
5 | Crystal Dunn | United States | 2m |
6 | Julie Ertz | United States | 2m |
7 | Sophia Smith | United States | 2m |
8 | Lindsey Horan | United States | 1.5m |
9 | Rose Lavelle | United States | 1.4m |
10 | Sofia Huerta | United States | 1,3 |
Home joy as New Zealand, Australia open World Cup with narrow wins
Football*Figures courtesy of Forbes.
In contrast to male footballers, Cristiano Ronaldo leads the rankings with an estimated pay cheque of at least 136 million dollars, with his arch-rival earning 130 million dollars.
Marcus Rashford has climbed up the ladder of the best-paid players in the Premier League after he landed a new bumper contract with Manchester United.
Sports Brief reported that Manchester City hotshot, Erling Haaland, is understood to be the highest-earning player in the English top flight. The Norwegian, who switched from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022, is believed to be pocketing a mouthwatering £865,000 a week.
The wages are more than double what his teammate, Kevin De Bruyne, is earning at the Etihad Stadium outfit. The Belgian playmaker is said to be on a £385,000-a-week paycheck, making him the second-best earning EPL player.