Zinedine Zidane Highest-Paid Footballer in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Paris
  • Last updated on

Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane 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. 54-year-old Zinedine Zidane 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 12/07/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Zinedine Zidane 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 Saturday (July 11) that Zidane is the highest-paid footballer in the world, pulling in an astonishing $46 million between June 2025 and June 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 Zidane Burger” chain) in Paris, a Football Team (the “Marseille Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderzidane - France), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Zinedine) and a fashion line called “Zinedine Zidane Seduction”.

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

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