Top Ten African Richest Footballer 2022
Top ten African richest footballers: African footballers have been making waves in the world of soccer for years. Some of the biggest names in the sport hail from Africa, and these players have made a name for themselves both on and off the pitch.
While many African footballers have made a name for themselves in Europe, there are plenty of homegrown talents that are making a name for themselves in Africa. These players are not only becoming household names in their own countries, but they are also becoming some of the richest footballers in the world.
So, who are the richest African footballers? Here are the top ten:
10. Sadio Mané
As of 2022, Sadio Mané’s net worth is estimated to be $30 million. He is the 10th richest African footballer and one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.
Born in Senegal in 1992, Mané started his professional career with the French club Metz in 2011. He transferred to Red Bull Salzburg in 2012 and then to Southampton in 2014. In 2016, he joined Liverpool for a then-club record fee of £34 million. He helped the club win the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and was named the African Footballer of the Year in 2019 and 2020.
Mané has also represented Senegal at the FIFA World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.
9. Michael Essien
Michael Essien is a Ghanaian professional footballer who has an estimated net worth of $35 million. He is currently the ninth richest African footballer.
Born in Accra, Ghana in 1982, Michael Essien started playing football at a young age. He moved to Europe to play for the French club Bastia in 2000. He then transferred to Chelsea in 2005 for a fee of $24.4 million, making him the most expensive African footballer at the time.
Essien has been a key member of the Chelsea team, winning the Premier League title in 2006 and 2010, the FA Cup in 2007 and 2009, and the League Cup in 2007. He has also been named Chelsea Player of the Year.
8. Kolo Touré
Kolo Touré is one of the richest African footballers, with an estimated net worth of $40 million. He is also one of the oldest footballers on our list, at 41 years old.
Touré began his career with ASEC Mimosas in his home country of Ivory Coast. He then moved to Arsenal in 2002, where he spent 10 years and won multiple trophies, including the Premier League title in 2004. In 2012, he joined Liverpool, where he spent two years before moving to relegated Aston Villa in 2014. He returned to Liverpool in 2016 and announced his retirement from football in 2019.
During his career, Touré also represented the Ivory Coast national team, winning more than 100 caps
7. Emmanuel Adebayor
Emmanuel Adebayor is a professional footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur. As of 2022, Emmanuel Adebayor’s net worth is estimated to be $45 million. He is the seventh richest African footballer on our list.
Emmanuel Adebayor was born on February 26, 1984, in Lome, Togo. He began his football career playing for a local club in Lome. In 2001, he moved to ASEC Mimosas, a club on Ivory Coast. He played for ASEC Mimosas for two years before moving to Europe to play for the French club, Metz.
6.Pierre Emrick Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a Gabonese professional footballer who plays as a striker for the English club Arsenal and the Gabon national team. He is the 6th richest African footballer, with a net worth of $50 million.
Aubameyang began his career in 2008 at the age of 17, when he was signed by the Italian club AC Milan. However, he only made one appearance for the club before being loaned out to several lower division teams in Italy and France. In 2011, he was signed by the German club Borussia Dortmund, where he scored 141 goals in 213 appearances. In January 2018, he was transferred to Arsenal for a then-club record fee of £56 million.
5. Mikel Obi
Mikel Obi is a Nigerian professional footballer who has an estimated net worth of $60 million. He is the fifth richest African footballer and is currently 35 years old. Obi started his football career at a young age and played for various local teams in Nigeria before being scouted by Chelsea in 2006. He made his debut for Chelsea in the 2007/2008 season and went on to win several trophies with the club, including the UEFA Champions League in 2012. In 2017, he returned to his home country to play for Tianjin Teda before joining Middlesbrough in 2019. Obi has also represented Nigeria at the FIFA World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.
4. Yaya Toure
Yaya Toure, who plays as a central midfielder for the Ivory Coast national team and Greek club Olympiacos, is the fourth richest African footballer with a net worth of $80 million.
He began his professional career at Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas in 2001, where he made a name for himself as a powerful and skilled box-to-box midfielder. In 2005, he transferred to European giants Olympique de Marseille, where he spent one season before joining the English side of Manchester City in 2010.
At City, Toure quickly established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, winning two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and a League Cup.
3. Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah is the third richest African footballer, according to our list. The Egyptian star has an estimated net worth of $90 million. Salah is just 30 years old and is currently playing for Liverpool. He is one of the most popular footballers in the world.
Salah started his career with the Egyptian club El Mokawloon in 2010. He then moved to Swiss club FC Basel in 2012. He had a successful time with Basel, winning the Swiss Super League in 2013. In 2014, he moved to the English club, Chelsea. However, he did not have much success with Chelsea and was loaned out to Italian club Fiorentina in 2015.
2. Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba is a retired Ivorian professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the second richest African footballer, with a net worth of $90 million.
Drogba began his career with Le Mans in France, before joining Chelsea for £24 million in 2004. He was the African Footballer of the Year in 2006 and 2009. He was voted Chelsea Player of the Year in 2007 and 2010. He won the UEFA Champions League in 2012. He also won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, and three League Cups with Chelsea.
He is the all-time top scorer and former captain of the Ivory Coast national team. He is the second highest scorer in the history of the African Cup of Nations.
1. Samuel Eto’o
As of 2020, Samuel Eto’o’s net worth is estimated to be $100 million dollars, making him the richest African footballer. He is also one of the highest-paid footballers in the world. Samuel Eto’o was born on March 10, 1981, in Nkon, Cameroon. He began his football career playing for the Kadji Sports Academy. He then moved to Spain to play for Real Madrid’s youth team. However, he only made one appearance for the senior team. He later transferred to FC Barcelona, where he became one of the most successful players in the club’s history. He won the treble (Champions League, La Liga, and Copa del Rey) in his first season with Barcelona.
