Lamine Yamal lifted the World Cup with one goal in seven matches.
Erling Haaland scored seven in four before Norway ran out of road against England.
Between them the two of them pulled in $123 million over the past 12 months, less than half of what Cristiano Ronaldo alone banked.
Ronaldo’s $300 million from Al-Nassr and endorsements made him the highest-paid player at the tournament on Forbes’ June ranking.
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Portugal went out in the round of 16, beaten 1-0 by Spain in Arlington, Texas, on 6 July after Mikel Merino struck in second-half stoppage time.
“I’m sad to be leaving the World Cup like this. I gave it my all,” Ronaldo told reporters afterwards. “It was my last World Cup, yes, but I’ll now have time to reflect and be with my family.”
Lionel Messi, second on the earnings list at $140 million, went further.
Argentina reached the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on 19 July, only for Ferran Torres to settle it in the 106th minute. Messi walked off in tears with the runners-up medal round his neck.
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Yamal’s title, without the goals
Yamal, ninth-highest paid at $43 million, arrived in New Jersey with one goal on his tournament ledger, scored against Saudi Arabia in the group stage.
He had spent the previous fortnight answering questions about the drought.
“If we win the World Cup, no one will remember whether I scored goals,” the 18-year-old said during Spain’s title run.
“The important thing is winning.”
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Spain then did. Torres, on as a substitute in East Rutherford, described the extra-time winner as one taken “with the power of all the Spanish people”.
Yamal’s single goal of the tournament, against Saudi Arabia at the age of 18, made him Spain’s second-youngest World Cup scorer, behind Pablo Gavi’s goal against Costa Rica in 2022.
Haaland’s seven goals ended in Miami
Haaland outscored every earner above him on the Forbes list.
The Manchester City striker struck seven times across four matches, a late winner against Ivory Coast in the round of 32 followed by goals against Brazil in the round of 16.
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England ended the run 2-1 in Miami on 11 July, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice, one in extra time, and a Torbjorn Heggem equaliser wiped out by VAR for a Haaland foul. Coach Stale Solbakken pulled his captain before the added period.
“It was not a tough decision to take him out,” Solbakken said. “He was finished.”
It was the first World Cup knockout victory in Norway’s history, secured with Haaland’s 86th-minute goal against Ivory Coast in the round of 32.
Haaland’s $80 million in annual earnings, per Forbes, includes roughly $60 million from Manchester City with the rest coming from Nike, Beats and Visa deals among others.
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The two players who defined the tournament, one with a trophy and one with a new benchmark for Norwegian football, are ranked ninth and fourth on the earnings chart. The one at the top watched the final on television.
