New Delhi, June 13 -- The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicked off on Thursday (11 June) across the United States, Canada and Mexico, is not just the most expansive tournament in the competition's 96-year history - it is also the wealthiest, with two billionaires on the pitch and a starting eleven collectively earning an estimated $950 million in the past year alone, according to Forbes.

FIFA projects the four-year cycle concluding with this tournament will generate $13 billion in revenue, with the World Cup alone expected to contribute approximately $17.2 billion to US GDP. Against that backdrop, Forbes has compiled the definitive list of the highest-paid players competing this summer, factoring in both on-field salaries and off-field comm...