Kylian Mbappe joins world’s highest-paid athletes with $120-million income

Kylian Mbappe, the 24-year-old Cameroonian-born French footballer who captains the France national team and plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, has joined the ranks of the world’s highest-paid athletes after earning $120 million, between May 1, 2022, and May 1, 2023.

Forbes’ recently released list of the World’s Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2023 reports that Kylian Mbappe earned an impressive $100 million in prize money, salaries, and bonuses from May 1, 2022, to May 1, 2023.

Additionally, he earned an estimated $20 million from off-field sources such as sponsorships, appearance fees, and licensing income for the 12 months leading up to May 1, 2023.

Despite being just 24 years old, he earned a total of $120 million during the reviewed period, securing his place as the third highest-paid athlete in the world.

Only football superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who earned $136 million and $130 million respectively, surpassed his earnings.

Kylian Mbappé, the son of Fayza Lamari and Wilfried Mbappe, a French-Cameroonian coach and agent, was born on December 20, 1998, in Paris.

At the young age of 18, he made waves in the football world by signing for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.

The transfer fee of €180 million was a record-breaking amount, making him the second-most expensive player and the priciest teenage player in history.

Mbappé’s debut in Forbes’ list of the World’s Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes in 2023 is a remarkable achievement, especially as the only member under 30 years old.

In just a year, he has climbed from 35th place to the third spot, a testament to his outstanding talent and marketability.

Notably, Mbappe presently holds the highest-paying salary in all of football, with a monthly wage of £4 million ($5 million) and a signing-on figure of approximately £100 million ($125.15 million), according to Sky Sports.

This achievement comes on the heels of his contract extension with PSG in May 2022, which, according to Sky Sports, includes a monthly wage of £4 million and a signing-on bonus of approximately £100 million.