Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the highest-paid football players in the world, but they do not hold the title of "richest footballer in the world."
The top-ranked player is Faiq Bolkiah, a former player for Chelsea and Leicester City.
When it comes to football players throughout the world earning the most money, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are at the top of the list.
Regardless of their salaries at their various clubs or the amount of sponsorship money they receive, the two GOATs remain at the top.
However, neither of them is the "richest in the world" in terms of players.
Despite having been at the top of their games for more than 15 years, Messi and Ronaldo are two of the wealthiest football players. Currently, Faiq Bolkiah holds the post.
Bolkiah's father is Jefri Bolkiah, the prince of Brunei. His uncle Hassanal is the Sultan of the country.
Bolkiah is a name that the supporters of the English Premier League are familiar with. He spent his formative years as a professional player with Southampton, Chelsea, and Leicester City.
But after failing to establish himself in English football, he eventually signed with Maritimo in 2020.
Chonburi and Bolkiah are currently travelling in Thailand. He has also currently appeared on six occasions for his nation's national team.
Bolkiah is worth an astounding $20 billion.
The fact that neither Messi nor Ronaldo is ranked No. 2 on the list is remarkable.
Mathieu Flamini, a former midfielder for Arsenal, is in second position. He helped start the Italian business GF Biochemicals.
Flamini has a $10 billion net worth.
Third and fourth on the list, respectively, are Ronaldo and Messi.
The striker for Manchester United is heavily supported by brands like Nike, ZTE, KFC, Samsung, and many more esteemed businesses.
Additionally, his own luxury apparel business, CR7, greatly increases his overall revenue.
Ronaldo is worth $500 million in total.
Even though Messi is listed right below Ronaldo, there is a $100 million gap between the two.
Moreover, Messi has significant sponsorship agreements with Budweiser, MasterCard, and Pepsi.
The Argentine maestro is currently valued at $400 million.