Comparing Neymar’s Likely Wages in Saudi to Ronaldo and Benzema

Comparing Neymar’s Likely Wages in Saudi to Ronaldo and Benzema

Chukwu Ikechukwu
updated at August 14, 2023 at 2:29 PM
In this article:
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior logo
Neymar
Al-Hilal Saudi FC logoFBrazil logo
Cristiano Ronaldo logo
C. Ronaldo
Al Nassr FC logoFPortugal logo
Karim Benzema logo
K.Benzema
Al-Ittihad Club logoFFrance logo
  • Neymar Junior is set to become one of the Saudi Pro League’s top earners if he transfers
  • The Paris Saint-Germain superstar is the subject of considerable interest from Al-Hilal
  • Neymar’s current contract with Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain runs until 2025

Neymar ranked 12th among the highest-paid athlete across any sport in the world at the start of 2023, but the Brazil international could jump up a few places if he moves to Al-Hilal.

The 31-year-old forward is the latest target in the Saudi Pro League's seismic summer of recruitment which has seen top superstars like Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane move to the Middle East.

Neymar, Paris Saint-Germain, PSG, Brazil, English Premier League
Neymar has agreed to leave Paris Saint-Germain and will join Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal on a two-year deal. Photo by Paris Saint-Germain
Source: Getty Images

According to GOAL, Neymar will be moving to Saudi Arabia after Paris Saint-Germain agreed a deal with Al-Hilal, with personal terms already settled upon.

The Saudi Pro League club will pay the Parisians €90 milliion for the 31-year-old Brazilian, who has already agreed to a two-year contract as he brings to an end his adventure in Europe.

Despite scoring 118 goals for PSG, Neymar's relationship with the club's fans has been rocky in recent years, culminating in a demonstration outside his home by ultras earlier this year.

How much will Neymar earn?

Neymar is set to take home a hefty paycheck when he signs the dotted line with Al-Hilal, as the Saudi Pro League club has offered the Brazilian a whopping deal worth €160mil, GOAL reports.

The 31-year-old forward, PSG’s second highest-paid player behind Kylian Mbappe, will surpass his teammate’s salary when he finally joins Al-Hilal this summer.

At Al-Hilal, Neymar will link up with ex-Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, and former Barcelona man Malcom.

Comparing Neymar’s wages to Benzema’s

Benzema is thought to be earning an astronomical £172.77mil-per-season after penning a three-year deal with Al-Ittihad when he joined the Saudi Pro League club this summer from Real Madrid, 90MIN reports.

The Frenchman is the second highest-paid player in the Saudi Pro League and earns an extra £12.77mil more than Neymar.

Benzema won five Champions League titles, five Club World Cups, four UEFA Super Cups, four La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey titles, and four Spanish Super Cups at Real Madrid before ending his 14-year stint with the Spanish giants this summer.

Comparing Ronaldo’s wages to Neymar’s

Al-Hilal’s hefty paycheck to Neymar is still a tad low compared to what Cristiano Ronaldo earns at the newly crowned Arab champions Al-Nassr.

Ronaldo was tempted to the Saudi Pro League after officially severing connections with Manchester United ahead of the World Cup, thanks in no small part to an extraordinary offer of £177.1mil per year.

The prolific Portuguese forward is the highest-paid athlete across any sport in the world and was on target twice as Al-Nassr won their first Arab Cup Champions trophy, defeating rivals Al-Hilal 2-1 in the final.

PSG’s conditions for Neymar’s exit

Earlier, Sports Brief reported on Neymar's time with PSG possibly ending but the Ligue 1 club will only allow his departure with some stringent conditions this summer.

New coach, Luis Enrique, has reportedly informed the Brazilian he will not be part of his plans for the 2023/24 season as the Parisians look to shed his huge wage bill.

PSG have also reportedly communicated their insistence on parting ways with Neymar on a permanent transfer switch, rather than a loan deal with an option to buy.

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Chukwu Ikechukwu photo
Chukwu Ikechukwu
Chukwu Ikechukwu Godwin is a journalist with over 9 years of experience in the Nigerian media industry. He has worked both in Radio (Today FM, Rhythm FM, Wish FM) and Television (Silverbird TV) as a Sports Analyst..
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