Top 100 Richest African Football Players in 2024

Football is the most popular sport in Africa and its star players are some of the highest paid athletes in the world. As the sport continues to grow on the continent, African players are commanding ever higher salaries from top European clubs. This article looks at the top 100 richest African football players in 2024 based on their estimated net worth.

1. Mohamed Salah - $120 million
Egyptian forward who plays for Liverpool. One of the top goalscorers in Premier League history and key player for Egypt. Has lucrative sponsorships with Adidas, Vodafone and Pepsi.

2. Sadio Mané - $100 million
Senegalese winger who plays for Bayern Munich. Transferred in 2022 for $50 million and is among the top earners at the club. Has sponsorship deals with New Balance and Interswitch.

3. Riyad Mahrez - $85 million
Algerian midfielder who plays for Manchester City. Moved for $80 million in 2018 and helped City win multiple Premier League titles. Sponsored by Nike and Toyota.

4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - $80 million
Gabonese striker who plays for Chelsea. Joined in 2023 for $30 million. Previously played for Arsenal. Sponsored by Nike and has invested in real estate.

5. Wilfried Zaha - $70 million
Ivorian winger who plays for Crystal Palace. Known for his dribbling skills and pace. Has sponsorship deal with Adidas. Also runs a property company.

6. Achraf Hakimi - $68 million
Moroccan full back who plays for Paris Saint-Germain. Transferred in 2021 for $85 million. Among the fastest players in Europe. Sponsored by Puma and Coca-Cola.

7. Édouard Mendy - $55 million
Senegalese goalkeeper who plays for Chelsea. Key member of Senegal's AFCON winning team. Joined Chelsea in 2020 and helped win Champions League. Sponsored by Adidas.

8. Naby Keita - $50 million
Guinean midfielder who plays for Liverpool. Central to Liverpool's midfield with his passing and runs forward. Has deal with Puma. Also invested in real estate and stocks.

9. Victor Osimhen - $48 million
Nigerian striker who plays for Napoli. Joined in 2020 for club record $80 million. One of the most prolific young forwards in Italy. Sponsored by Nike.

10. Thomas Partey - $45 million
Ghanaian midfielder who plays for Arsenal. Signed in 2020 and is the anchor of their midfield. Sponsored by Puma and has other investments.

11. Franck Kessié - $42 million
Ivorian midfielder who plays for Barcelona. Moved in 2022 on a free transfer. Box-to-box midfielder crucial for AC Milan and Ivory Coast. Sponsored by Adidas.

12. Hakim Ziyech - $40 million
Moroccan winger who plays for Chelsea. Joined in 2020 from Ajax. Known for his creative passing and scoring ability. Sponsored by Nike.

13. Adam Lallana - $38 million
South African-born English midfielder playing for Brighton & Hove Albion. Premier League veteran comfortable on the ball. Invested in real estate and stocks.

14. Islam Slimani - $35 million
Algerian striker who plays for Sporting CP. Premier League veteran who also played for Leicester City. transferred back to Sporting in 2022. Sponsored by Adidas.

15. Kelechi Iheanacho - $32 million
Nigerian striker who plays for Leicester City. Had breakout season in 2020/21 scoring 12 league goals. Has sponsorship deal with Nike.

16. Willy Boly - $30 million
Ivorian defender who plays for Nottingham Forest. Powerful center back who helped Wolves qualify for Europe. Invests in real estate in France.

17. Alex Iwobi - $28 million
Nigerian winger who plays for Everton. Versatile midfielder who joined Everton in 2019 for $40 million. Has sponsorship deal with Adidas.

18. Bertrand Traoré - $26 million
Burkinabé winger playing for Istanbul Basaksehir on loan from Aston Villa. Known for his speed and work rate. Previously played for Lyon and Chelsea. Sponsored by Nike.

19. Nicolas Pépé - $25 million
Ivorian winger who plays for Nice on loan from Arsenal. Broke Arsenal's transfer record when he joined for $97 million in 2019. Has deal with Adidas.

20. Victor Moses - $23 million
Nigerian wing back who plays for Spartak Moscow. Premier League winner with Chelsea where he played wing back under Conte. On loan in Russia from Inter Milan. Sponsored by Nike.

Other players on the list include Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly, Ghana's Thomas Partey, Morocco's Noussair Mazraoui, Egypt's Trézéguet, Nigeria's William Troost-Ekong, Mali's Amadou Haidara, Ghana's Daniel Amartey, Senegal's Cheikhou Kouyaté, Nigeria's Wilfred Ndidi, Ghana's Jordan Ayew, Senegal's Abdou Diallo, Morocco's Sofyan Amrabat, Nigeria's Henry Onyekuru, Ghana's Mohammed Kudus, Egypt's Omar Gaber, Nigeria's Samuel Chukwueze, Mali's Hamari Traoré, Morocco's Nayef Aguerd, Egypt's Mahmoud Hassan, Ghana's Mubarak Wakaso, and Nigeria's Emmanuel Dennis among others.

The list features stars playing for top clubs in Europe's biggest leagues like the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1. The players come from countries all over the continent such as Senegal, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Algeria and Morocco. While the exact net worth figures are estimates, these players earn multi-million dollar salaries as well as lucrative endorsement deals with top brands like Nike, Adidas and Puma.

Many of the players have invested their money wisely in real estate, stocks, and other businesses to grow their wealth. Besides their playing contracts and sponsorships, some have invested in their home countries and communities as well as philanthropic initiatives.

As African football continues to progress and develop new talent, the continent is sure to produce even more wealthy star footballers in the years. The growth of African football has led many top European clubs to invest more in scouting and signing the best African players. With increasing exposure and opportunity, Africa's richest players are likely to see their earnings rise even higher in the future.