Highlights

• Neymar signed a lucrative deal worth £23 million per year with Puma, leaving his previous boot supplier Nike.
• Erling Haaland secured a career-long deal with Nike after months of speculation, becoming one of the highest-paid players in terms of boot deals.
• Lionel Messi has a lifetime contract with Adidas and even launched his own sub-brand within the company, ensuring he continues to make money off his boots in the future.

Arguably one of the most lucrative sports in the world, footballers are often among the richest athletes – and not only because of their contentious pay packets that dwarf many other occupations. Alongside their salaries, endorsements and bonuses, players are given the opportunity to sign individual sponsorship contracts and boot deals have a huge part to play.

This, in turn, means more money. Major boot brands, Nike, Adidas and Puma to name a few, are always on the lookout for new players to represent them. And the latest player to be handed a deal worth millions in the realm of boot deals is Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The 25-year-old Englishman, part of the Reds’ all-time academy XI, has partnered with Adidas to make him one of the highest paid players for a boot deal in Europe. It marks a new era for the defender with his long-term association with Under Armour, that has been about since 2017, coming to an end.

Joining the likes of Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Barcelona ace Pedri, Alexander-Arnold joins an exclusive club of stars that are becoming the next generation of Adidas Predator boot wearers. But Trent’s latest haul of money got us thinking – which players of the current era have managed to snare the most lucrative deals in terms of teaming up with boot suppliers? We have named the top 11 after updating The Mirror's list from 2022.

A quick caveat: all figures used are on a per-year basis. Without further ado, ready to get stuck in?

1 Neymar, £23 million, Puma

When Neymar ended his relationship with Nike, there was always going to be a mad rush to sign him up. Puma won out in the end thanks to an unprecedented offer, worth £23m-per-year, that simply couldn't be refused. And while the length of his deal is unknown, his 11-year stint with Nike was worth half of his one with Puma – and as such, it was a no-brainer. With Neymar now ruled out for the rest of 2023/24, though, we may have seen the last of those Puma boots striking goal-bound efforts.

“I grew up watching films of great football icons like Pele, Cruyff, Eusebio, and Maradona, who each played in Puma.” The Brazil legend wrote on social media after signing his mega-money deal.

2 Erling Haaland, £20 million, Nike

It was almost beggars belief that Erling Haaland, the man on the lips of every football fan around, did not boast a boot deal until earlier this year. Described as a ‘career-long’ deal, the Norway star, now 22, initially signed a deal with the iconic sports brand aged 14 – but that came to an end in early 2022.

After months of speculation and Adidas and Puma both being worn by the goal-gobbling striker, he re-joined after months of speculation and a plethora of brands vying for his signature. Nike’s prized asset, Erling Haaland, who scored 50 Premier League goals in the quickest time, is becoming accustomed to bagging goals, but thanks to his lucrative deal with the iconic brand, he is also lining his pockets off it.

3 Lionel Messi, £18 million, Adidas

Lionel Messi also enjoys a lifetime contract with his boot manufacturer, and, in following in the footsteps of Michael Jordan, has even launched his own sub-brand within the company – The Adidas Messi. That means that the Argentine will still be making money off his boots even after he's hung them up.

Upon achieving international greatness in November 2022 by spearheading Argentina to World Cup glory, many companies flocked around the pint-sized magician in order to cash-in being linked with the well-documented superstar. Adidas were ahead of the pack in 2006, however, as they penned a £18m-a-year deal – and rest assured, there’s no doubt that even long after the end of his career, kids around the world will want to get their hands on Messi’s boots.

4 Cristiano Ronaldo, £15 million, Nike

Such is Cristiano Ronaldo’s monstrous brand and market influence, Nike were willing to cough up an unprecedented lifetime deal reportedly worth £780m with only LeBron James and Michael Jordan being the only other athletes to have signed deals that will last their lifetime. Such a deal just proves his importance to the sport and how much he is valued.

Ronaldo, the scorer of the most international goals since 2000, marked his arrival on the scene by beginning his deal with Nike back in 2003, as the American-based company sensed a prime opportunity and seized it with both hands. The Portugal international’s switch to Al-Nassr has opened a new avenue of eyeballs on Nike (as a brand) after he plied his trade on European soil for a while.

5 Kylian Mbappé, £14 million, Nike

Signing the most marketable figure in the game right now was always going to take a special offer. Nike duly delivered, handing Kylian Mbappé - the most expensive 24-year-old in world football - a 10-year deal, worth around £140 million in total, that is said to be valid as long he plays in a top league – which, let’s be real, is inevitable.

Still only 24 years of age, Mbappé’s stock is only going to rise exponentially and Nike will be counting their lucky stars that they managed to get ahead of their competitors and tie the sought-after – both on and off the pitch – forward down to a 10-year deal worth around the £140m mark.

6 Jack Grealish, £10 million, Puma

Jack Grealish hit the headlines back in March, and it wasn’t for any on-pitch exploits. Instead, he signed the most lucrative boot deal ever given to a British footballer after he ended his terms with Nike. In came Puma, who were willing to offer £10m per season to have the England regular don their brand.

Pep Guardiola, Grealish’s boss, is known to be an ambassador of the brand, while his side’s kit has been supplied by said company for the last four years. Hailed as the nicest man in football, Puma were keen to pen a deal with the winger as they are acutely aware of the power they have on the sport and, more importantly, the fans that watch week in week out.

7 Mario Balotelli, £5 million, Puma

Italy’s perennial bad boy may have fallen off the radar of late, but his blockbuster ten-year deal with Puma certainly has not. The deal was signed in 2014 at the peak of Balotelli's popularity and powers and was a key cog in Italy’s national squad as they looked to return to greatness.

When his contract with Nike was terminated, Puma swooped in for his signature and the former Manchester City man, Mario Balotelli, signed a £5m-a-year deal. Given his character, he was once highly marketable, but that is no longer the case as his career dies out in Turkey for Adana Demirspor.

8 Antoine Griezmann, £3.5 million, Puma

Before Neymar (don’t worry, we’ll get on to him later) signed with Puma, Atlético Madrid and France superstar Antoine Griezmann was that guy. Back in 2015, the annual value of his boot contract was bumped up to £3.5m.

Puma would’ve been licking their lips when he joined European powerhouse Barcelona back in 2019 as their exposure on a global scale was boosted tenfold as the Frenchman rose to widespread fame. Despite being highly documented beforehand, Barcelona are just a different beast in terms of popularity. Since returning to the Spanish capital, Griezmann has continued to shine bright in Puma boots and is earning a fair wad of money in doing so.

9 Paul Pogba, £3 million, Adidas

When Paul Pogba is involved in the conversation, money is often a talking point, having signed for Manchester United for a mouth-watering £89m and being in the Premier League's most expensive XI of all time. And while things never worked out at Old Trafford, there’s no denying his talent. The over-used cliché of ‘on his day’ perfectly applies to the Frenchman, but his hodgepodge run of form didn’t stop Adidas from laying out a £3m boot deal in front of him.

Not only does he rep their boots for Juventus, but he practically appears in all of their television commercials and every possible poster the company produces. Whether Adidas will agree to extend his contract when it expires in 2024 is another question, however.

10 Marco Verratti, £2.5 million, Nike

Formerly under contract with Puma, the Italy and former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder jumped shipped to Nike after his deal with German corporation expired in 2017. In between his deals, he wore blacked out boots before putting pen to paper with Nike in a deal worth £2.5m.

Although the length of said deal is not common knowledge, the smooth midfield operator is certainly not short of change thanks to the generosity of Nike. The European-based watchers are not used to seeing Marco Verratti on their screens as much on the back of his switch to the Middle East, though it is said the transfer has opened their brand to a completely new market.

11 Mohamed Salah, £2.5 million, Adidas

Particularly in African and Middle Eastern circles, Mohamed Salah, who is included in GIVEMESPORT's Premier League Team of the Season thus far, is considered royalty and, as such, has a huge fanbase from every corner of the globe. From Europe to Africa, the majority of fans are aware of the Egyptian’s exploits.

Adidas have the pleasure of being in partnership with the perennial goalscorer and will be delighted to see his efforts in front of goal hardly ever dry up as their brand is on show every time he bursts the net. Salah also had endorsement deals with companies such as Pepsi and Vodafone in his native Egypt as he continues to light up the Premier League.