“The appeal of these famous players has not worn off yet, the upcoming World Cup in 2026 will be their last dance. That is why fans around the world are still very interested in these stars. Each person has a unique influence, no one is the same, which creates a strange appeal in the colourful world of football,” says Marca (Spain). Sportico (USA) recently announced that Neymar, Messi and Ronaldo will remain the highest-paid players in the world in 2025.
Marca continues: “What is most evident is that Brazilian fans never abandoned their favourite son, Neymar, even if he was treated badly in France when he played for PSG or was a huge disappointment in Saudi Arabia. In Brazil, where there is always affection and trust, Neymar re-emerged as before. The 33-year-old striker scored a great goal from a corner and provided two assists as Santos beat Inter de Limeira 3-0 in the Campeonato Paulista (Sao Paulo state) on February 24.” Neymar has been slowly regaining his best form. He played 6 games for Santos, scoring 2 goals and having 3 assists. Thanks to that, Neymar will almost certainly be called up by coach Dorival Junior to the Brazilian national team for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March, after more than a year and a half of absence.
Ronaldo has left a huge mark in Saudi Arabia with a record number of goals. The famous player is now 40 years old, but he is still “shooting” regularly and is getting closer to the milestone of scoring 1,000 goals. In the USA, Messi always creates football “magic” with his talent. The attractiveness of the Argentine star always means that the football stadiums in the USA, where he plays or at Inter Miami, are packed with spectators.
“Ronaldo is still a money-making machine at 40 years old. This famous player has an annual income of up to 251.7 million euros. Messi is in second place with 129.7 million euros and Neymar follows with 127.8 million euros. Until now, many years have passed but no one in the world of football has been able to surpass them, despite the fact that the three no longer play in Europe,” concludes Marca .
