Have you ever wondered how your favorite football stars earn money?

We know everyone gets an astronomical contact to support themselves but most of what they get is paid in taxes to the government and they have little to no control over their salary. They can always demand more money from the team management for their service, but it’s up to the team to decide whether they actually grant the players wishes.

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Depending on the contract and the clauses involved there can be circumstances when the player actually doesn’t have to play to get paid. For example, if a player is suffering from injury, he is still obligated to get paid by the team. Some leagues even refrain from releasing their players at all during times of injury and are abide by laws to support the player till he is back up on his feet.

Suspensions are a bit tricky and though some teams offer to pay the player during a suspension, the player was punished for his own actions and the teams might not be obligated to do so.

In some cases, a player can even get paid after being released by a team, if it seems more profitable to the organization.

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But the major source of income for a player is not his contract. We live in the world of ads today. The three biggest organizations in the world rest on this backbone and so do players. Having a social media following in today’s world is a bazooka in your arsenal. Companies big small and gigantic tie player to million-dollar contacts just to use their name and social weight and broadcast themselves to the public.

The contracts don’t just stop at millions, recently Real Madrid hot scorer Cristiano Ronaldo signed an astronomical one billion dollar contract with sportswear company Nike. The popularity of players play a huge part in these deal, Cristiano Ronaldo is the most followed person in the world at the moment and some pundits considered Nike got Ronaldo for cheap. 

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The naming rights of the player and even having him do a small cutscene can cost the company billions. But don’t be fooled it is a win-win situation for both the parties.

Moreover, public appearances, country invitations, featuring in charities and other organizational shows and even selling of branded footwears and clothing also bring in enough to feed hundreds of families every year.

Unfortunately, what we talked about is only applicable to about 5% of the total players in the world. A player’s earning potential and command over his fans can take a detour year after year. Age, performance and brand endorsements change every year and it is uncertain how much a player might earn.

One out of six players file for bankruptcy within 12 years of retirement due to sloppy planning and lackluster lavish lifestyles and cannot make ends meet.

That being said, players of today’s generation have far more economic and social strength and this will only continue to improve as time goes on.