Barça captain Alexia Putellas among highest-earning World Cup players

FC Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas is among the top three highest-paid players involved in the Women's World Cup, according to Forbes magazine.

The financial publication has reported that Spain's attacking midfielder has makes around $4 million annually.

Forbes breaks this income down by on-field and off-field earnings, where sponsorships and other deals would come into play. 

Putellas is the only player not from the United States who makes the top ten list.

The two-time Ballon d'Or winner was third in the rankings behind multiple World Cup winners Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe. 

Forbes reports that Putellas has "a dozen long-term endorsement deals and was the subject of an Amazon Prime Video docuseries released in November 2022."

The article also pointed out her Instagram following, citing a recent Nielsen report that ranked her as the sport’s second-most-influential player on the social media app, trailing only Switzerland’s Alisha Lehmann. 

Spain got their World Cup campaign off to the perfect start last week with a 3-0 win over Costa Rica. 

Barcelona's Aitana Bonmatí was on the scoresheet that day, while Putellas started from the bench but made an appearance towards the close of procedures.