A first pro contract signed at 16 years with AS Monaco
At 14, Kylian Mbappé signed a first aspirant contract, at the time already with a bigger signing bonus than usual. Two years later, everything accelerated, the attacker initialed his first professional contract in March 2016.
The newspaper L’Equipe then reports that it is evolving, paid 1 million gross in the first season, then €1.2 million and €1.4 million the following…
The young man will not go that far, before touching the individual Grail, in Russia with the Blues, he joins the PSG in 2017, as part of a paying loan with compulsory purchase option.
Kylian Mbappé joined PSG in 2017
His first financial year will be paid to him at the equivalent of €18 million gross, excluding bonuses. It will pass the symbolic threshold of more than €20 million in annual salaries, a threshold rarely reached in football.
Since then, his triumphant march has gained momentum. Despite the failures to win the C1 with PSG, his latest World Cup has strengthened his position as a global star and his salary reaches more than €60 million in annual salaries.
Even before that, he was able to gage, if he ever needed to, just how important he was to negotiate with both PSG and Real Madrid, his future club.
6 million € gross per month with PSG is unprecedented in collective sport
On 22 May 2022, the final outcome was reached, with the signing of a new contract, unprecedented in the history of collective sport, at €6 million gross per season (minus bonuses), until 2025.
At 24, Mbappé is not finished making his mark on the sporting, economic or even social history of his discipline.
Change in the ranking of the highest paid football players
In the world of soccer, change is occurring at a breathtaking pace. The summer of 2023 saw a surge in departures of European stars to Saudi Arabia, and one of the most attractive factors for these soccer talents is undoubtedly the extravagant salaries they are offered.
Today, four of the world’s ten highest-paid players are in Saudi Arabia: Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mané.
This year, with her latest move, Neymar managed to climb one place in the rankings, surpassing Kylian Mbappé. Karim Benzema has made a landslide in the rankings, moving straight to fifth.
At the same time, Robert Lewandowski, Andrés Iniesta and Eden Hazard have left this prestigious ranking to make way for renowned newcomers, namely Harry Kane, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mané.
This rapid change in the pay hierarchy for internationally renowned footballers is a testament to Saudi Arabia’s growing attractiveness as a destination for soccer stars.
Why are footballers paid so well?
Football’s exorbitant salaries are justified in an ecosystem where the global audience is at the heart of magic. Football is more than just a sport; it is a spectacle, a passion shared by millions of fans around the world.
Football field matches draw massive audiences, both in front of televisions and in stadiums, creating invaluable advertising opportunities for sponsors.
Footballers today are rewarded enormously, in large part by diversifying their sources of income. In addition to the salaries paid by their clubs, renowned players have the opportunity to capitalize on their reputation by forming partnerships with sponsors.
These advertising partnerships enable athletes to become the iconic faces of globally recognized brands, while generating considerable revenue.
