How Kylian Mbappe became the highest-paid footballer in the world: report

In 2021, Forbes published the list of the highest-paid athletes in the world. The publication named Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest-earning footballers. Included in the list was Kylian Mbappe.

Mbappe has now emerged as the highest-paid footballer courtesy of his new contract with Paris Saint-Germain. The French footballer turned down a transfer deal to Spanish giants Real Madrid and signed a three-year contract extension with the Ligue 1 champions, keeping him in the French capital until 2025.

According to Marca, Mbappe is now earning £42.5million ($51m) per annum, in addition to his bonus of £153million for staying at the Parc des Princes. What is more, he now also has 100 percent control of his image rights.

It is the highest contract to be given to a player, according to Marca. In his last season at Barcelona, Messi received a £64million annual salary.

However, when he moved to PSG, he agreed to accept a huge salary reduction this year to £25.5million, although this will increase to £34million for the final year of his deal in Paris. 

Mbappe was born in 1998 in Paris and was raised in Bondy, Seine-Saint-Denis. His father, Wilfried, is from Cameroon while his mother, Fayza Lamari, is of Algerian origin, and migrated to France.

Mbappe was trained to be a professional football player by his father at AS Bondy where his father managed the club. He later moved to the French side Clairefontaine academy and started attracting a lot of French and non-French teams due to his extraordinary talent.

He left Clairefontaine academy to play for Chelsea’s Under 11s team. He later moved to A.S Monaco. He became the youngest player to play for A.S. Monaco and helped the team to win the Ligue 1 league title in the 2016/2017 season along with the Coupe de France title.

In 2017, he was signed by PSG and went on to help the Paris club to win the league title. He made his French Senior side at the age of 18 during the Russia 2018 World cup. In 2018, he was named the FIFA World Cup Best Young Player.

According to Sportytell, Mbappe’s net worth is reportedly valued at around $110 million. In 2021, Forbes put his total earnings at $42 million. Of the figure, $28 million constitutes his salary. He makes $14 million through endorsement deals.

Meanwhile, his net worth is expected to increase exponentially in the coming years.