With the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations recently concluded and leaving us with memories we won’t forget in a hurry, players on the continent are back to their respective clubs as they look to finish the football season on a high.
Over time, the continent has produced some fine football players who have gone on to play for the biggest of club sides across the world.
In this article, we take a look at the top five richest African football players of all time:
- Samuel Eto’o
With an estimated net worth of $95 million, retired Cameroonian professional football player Samuel Eto’o is the richest African football player of all time. Throughout his career, he received multiple individual and team honors, including four times as the African Footballer of the Year. In addition, he has won the UEFA Champions League twice.
Eto’o’s income has come from a number of places, such as endorsement deals, bonuses, and salary. He has also made prudent investments with his money in real estate and enterprises. Young African football players look up to him as a role model and are motivated to pursue their goals by him.
- Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba is a retired Ivorian professional football striker. He is the all-time leading scorer and a former captain of the Ivory Coast national team. He is best recognized for his stint at Chelsea, where he has scored more goals than any other foreign player and is now the club’s fourth-highest goal scorer of all time.
Drogba was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in 1978. He began his professional career in France, competing for Le Mans and Guingamp. He relocated to England in 2004 to join Chelsea, where he won four Premier League championships, four FA Cups, and the UEFA Champions League in 2012.
Drogba was one of the richest footballers in the world, earning a salary of $15 million per year. Today, Didier Drogba is pegged at number of the richest African footballers of all time with a net worth of $90 million.
- Mohammed Salah
Mohamed Salah is an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Liverpool and captains the Egypt national team. He is considered one of the best players in the world and is known for his dribbling, pace, and finishing ability.
Salah has won numerous individual and team awards throughout his career, including the Premier League Golden Boot award twice, the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award, and the FWA Footballer of the Year award. He was also named African Footballer of the Year in 2017 and 2018.
Mohamed Salah’s net worth is at an impressive $90 million
- Yaya Toure
Yaya Toure is a retired Ivorian professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is considered one of the richest African footballers of all time. He was named African Footballer of the Year four times, in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Yaya Touré’s net worth is $70 million.
- Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a Gabonese professional footballer who plays forward for La Liga club Barcelona and captains the Gabon national team. He is well-known for his speed, finishing, and dribbling abilities.
Aubameyang is now ranked fifth among the top ten richest African footballers, with an estimated net worth of $50 million. He has made his money from salaries, bonuses, and endorsement deals. He is one of the richest African footballers boasting of endorsement deals with big brands.
