Jean-Pierre Papin Highest-Paid Footballer in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Paris
  • Last updated on

Jean-Pierre Papin
Jean-Pierre Papin led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid footballers” released on Monday.

It's been a rough year for the footballer, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 62-year-old Jean-Pierre Papin has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid footballers for 2026 with an estimated $82 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 07/04/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Jean-Pierre Papin 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 Monday (April 6) that Papin is the highest-paid footballer in the world, pulling in an astonishing $82 million between March 2025 and March 2026, a nearly $50 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 French footballer has an estimated net worth of $245 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 Papin Burger” chain) in Paris, a Football Team (the “Boulogne-sur-Mer Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderpapin - France), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Jean-Pierre) and a fashion line called “Jean-Pierre Papin Seduction”.

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

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