Michael Essien Highest-Paid Footballer in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Accra
  • Last updated on

Michael Essien
Michael Essien led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid footballers” released on Wednesday.

It's been a rough year for the footballer, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 43-year-old Michael Essien 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 17/09/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Michael Essien tops annual list of highest-paid footballers

In 2024 it looked like the footballer’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Wednesday (September 16) that Essien is the highest-paid footballer in the world, pulling in an astonishing $58 million between August 2025 and August 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 Ghanaian 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 Essien Burger” chain) in Accra, a Football Team (the “Accra Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderessien - Ghana), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Michael) and a fashion line called “Michael Essien Seduction”.

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

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