Bobby Charlton Highest-Paid Footballer in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • London
  • Last updated on

Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid footballers” released on Thursday.

It's been a rough year for the footballer, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 88-year-old Bobby Charlton has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid footballers for 2026 with an estimated $58 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 06/02/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Bobby Charlton tops annual list of highest-paid footballers

In 2023 it looked like the footballer’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Thursday (February 5) that Charlton is the highest-paid footballer in the world, pulling in an astonishing $58 million between January 2025 and January 2026, a nearly $30 million lead over his closest competition.

People With Money’s factors

In compiling this yearly list, the magazine considers factors such as upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.

The English footballer has an estimated net worth of $185 million. He owes his fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Charlton Burger” chain) in London, a Football Team (the “Ashington Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wondercharlton - England), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Bobby) and a fashion line called “Bobby Charlton Seduction”.

The ranking is significant for many Bobby fans, who have been waiting for his triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.

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