Megan Rapinoe Highest-Paid Footballer in the World

It's been a rough year for the footballer, but at least she has her millions of dollars to ease the pain. 40-year-old Megan Rapinoe 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 20/03/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Megan Rapinoe tops annual list of highest-paid footballers

In 2023 it looked like the footballer’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, she was back on top. People With Money reports on Thursday (March 19) that Rapinoe is the highest-paid footballer in the world, pulling in an astonishing $58 million between February 2025 and February 2026, a nearly $30 million lead over her 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 American footballer-activist has an estimated net worth of $185 million. She owes her fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. She also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Rapinoe Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “Redding Angels”), has launched her own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderapinoe - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Megan) and a fashion line called “Megan Rapinoe Seduction”.

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

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