Michel Platini Highest-Paid Footballer in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Paris
  • Last updated on

Michel Platini
Michel Platini led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid footballers” released on Saturday.

It's been a rough year for the footballer, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 70-year-old Michel Platini has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid footballers for 2026 with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 22/02/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Michel Platini 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 Saturday (February 21) that Platini is the highest-paid footballer in the world, pulling in an astonishing $46 million between January 2025 and January 2026, a nearly $20 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 $145 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 Platini Burger” chain) in Paris, a Football Team (the “Jœuf Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderplatini - France), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Michel) and a fashion line called “Michel Platini Seduction”.

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

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