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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to bring together the finest footballers from across the globe.

A total of 48 nations will compete, each fielding their best squad to fight for the most prestigious trophy in international football.

With a squad quota of 26 players per team, the North American-hosted tournament will feature a total of 1,248 players.

However, among the thousands taking part, only a select few belong to the elite category based on their club earnings.

Data published by Capology reveals a significant gap between the top earners and the majority of players.

THE HIGHEST SALARIES AT THE 2026 WORLD CUP – Cristiano Ronaldo leads the list of the 10 highest-paid players at the 2026 World Cup, maintaining a substantial gap ahead of rivals such as Lionel Messi, who sits in second place.

At the top, Cristiano Ronaldo remains unmatched. The Portuguese captain continues to dominate as the highest-paid player, far ahead of his competitors.

Interestingly, LaLiga contributes the most names to the top 10 list of highest-paid players at the 2026 World Cup, with four representatives, followed by the Saudi Pro League with three.

Cristiano Ronaldo comfortably holds the first position. Annually, he earns over 4 trillion Rupiah from the Saudi Arabian powerhouse Al Nassr.

Lionel Messi ranks second on the list.

PlanetFootball earlier released a list of players with the highest weekly wages at the 2026 World Cup, which surprisingly did not include Lionel Messi.

However, upon reviewing Sportico’s data, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe occupy the second and third spots, respectively, among the top annual earners at the tournament.

Both Messi and Mbappe receive an annual salary of $70 million each from Inter Miami and Real Madrid.

Erling Haaland is one of only two Premier League players in the top 10, ranking fourth. The Manchester City striker earns more than 1 trillion Rupiah per year.

Vinicius Junior, earning the same annual salary as Haaland, follows closely in fifth place.

Next on the list is former Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez, who pockets £869,388 per week from Al Ahli. The Algerian winger exemplifies the success of top European players making lucrative moves to the Saudi Pro League.

His total annual income stands at approximately 940 billion Rupiah.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammate at Al Nassr, Sadio Mane, is not far behind. The Senegalese forward earns around 904 billion Rupiah per year.

The Premier League is further represented by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in eighth place, followed by Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham rounding out the top 10.

Lamine Yamal is particularly noteworthy—at just 18 years old, he already earns over 500 billion Rupiah annually, surpassing even Jude Bellingham.

Top 10 Highest-Paid Players at the 2026 World Cup

1. Cristiano Ronaldo: $230 million (Rp4.1 trillion)

2. Lionel Messi: $70 million (Rp1.26 trillion)

3. Kylian Mbappe: $70 million (Rp1.26 trillion)

4. Erling Haaland: $60 million (Rp1.085 trillion)

5. Vinicius Jr.: $60 million (Rp1.085 trillion)

6. Riyad Mahrez: $52 million (Rp940 billion)

7. Sadio Mane: $50 million (Rp904 billion)

8. Mohamed Salah: $35 million (Rp633 billion)

9. Lamine Yamal: $33 million (Rp597 billion)

10. Jude Bellingham: $29 million (Rp524 billion)

Messi, the Idol of Indonesian Volleyball Legend Loudry Maspaitella

Indonesian volleyball legend Loudry Maspaitella is also caught up in the excitement of the 2026 World Cup.

The former setter of the Indonesian men’s national volleyball team has named six national teams as his top picks to win the tournament: Argentina, France, Spain, Brazil, Germany, and England.

“Since it’s still early in the tournament, those are my favourites to win,” Loudry told Tribunnews.

Currently serving as the Deputy Head of PP PBVSI’s Player Development Division, Loudry also shared his personal favourite players for the four-yearly football spectacle.

“My favourite players are Messi, Gavi, and Pedri,” said Loudry Maspaitella.

(Tribunnews.com/Giri)