The top five earners in European football have been announced, with Lionel Messi making more than twice as much as Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi's Barcelona contract was controversially leaked in January, revealing it to be possibly the richest deal in sporting history. The Argentine superstar's new contract will make him world-class players get £200,000 a week.
According to the latest figures from the European Commission, here are the top five highest paid employees in Europe:
1. Lionel Messi - €55 million (£48 million) 2. Cristiano Ronaldo - €47.5 million (£41 million) 3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic - €40 million (£35 million) 4. Luis Suarez - €33 million (£29 million) 5. Thomas Muller - €30 million (£26 million)
Messi, Lionel Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo once again top this year's Forbes list of the highest-paid soccer players, with Messi resolving a weeks-long contract dispute to claim the top place with $126 million, nudging out Juventus' Ronaldo, who comes in second with $117 million. The other players on the list include Neymar ($57 million), Luis Suarez ($55 million), Gareth Bale ($53 million) and Robert Lewandowski ($50 million).
Forbes estimates that Messi makes about $18 million per season while Ronaldo takes home $90 million. Other players listed in the article include Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint-Germain) - $63 million, Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) - $57 million, Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) - $55 million, and Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund) - $50 million.
These figures do not include image rights or sponsorship deals, which can yield huge sums for popular players.
A player's salary is based on how many goals they score and how many matches they appear in for their team over a given period. For example, if a player scores 10 goals and has 10 matches in the league plus one in the cup, they will have played 11 games and be paid $1.5 million. If they only score five goals but have six matches, they will only have five appearances on the pitch and be paid $750,000.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo once again top this year's Forbes list of the highest-paid soccer players, with Messi resolving a weeks-long contract dispute to claim the top place with $126 million, nudging out Juventus' Ronaldo, who comes in second with $117 million. The other two players on the list: Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski and Atletico Madrid's Gareth Bale.
Forbes estimates that each of these players earned $72.5 million from playing football this year. That's more than the total salary packages for the next three highest players combined!
It's safe to say that Lionel Messi is truly the greatest player in the world. He's already won several awards, including the FIFA World Player of the Year award twice. With his current level of performance, it's very likely that he will win it for a third time next year.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the biggest names in modern sport. As the world's most skilled and marketable players, it's no surprise that they'll be at the top of the list of highest-paid soccer players in 2020.
Messi and Ronaldo make a lot of money because of their talent and popularity. They are considered to be some of the best players in the world, so when they play games for their clubs they always get many fans who pay to see them play.
The duo are also very successful on the international stage, with both Argentina and Portugal being favored to win the upcoming tournaments where they're playing.
So far this year, Messi has signed a new contract with his club Barcelona that will keep him there until 2028, making him the first player to have contracts extended beyond his current age of 31.
Ronaldo is still contracted to Juventus until 2021, but the Italian club announced in June 2019 that they had reached an agreement with Ronaldo's current club Real Madrid for a transfer fee to be paid to Juve. The deal will see Ronaldo join United States' team Los Angeles FC after the end of the season.
Lionel Messi is a soccer superstar. Lionel Messi of Barcelona has topped Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid soccer players for the second time in a row. Messi made $126 million in total over the last calendar year, with $92 million coming from his wage and $34 million coming from sponsorship deals. He is joined on the list for the third year in a row by Cristiano Ronaldo, who made $80 million.
For the first time ever, more women than men are making more than $1 million per year. There are now more female millionaires than male ones. The number of women involved in the sport of soccer at any level has increased dramatically over the past decade - as has their pay - with many now earning large sums of money through advertising contracts and sponsorship deals.
In 2014, Forbes estimated Messi's salary at $30 million while Ronaldo was said to be taking home $75 million.
Now, about those salaries...
Messi and Ronaldo are two of the most popular athletes in the world, so it isn't surprising that they make a lot of money. But what is interesting is how much they make compared to other soccer players. According to research conducted by the Sports Illustrated magazine, Messi makes around $57 million per year while Ronaldo takes home $84 million.
The report also noted that there are currently more female millionaires than male ones in soccer.
Some of Spain's football teams not only made, but also led, the global list of highest-paid players. Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona leads the list of the top ten scorers in La Liga during the 2018/2019 season. Benzema of Real Madrid and Luis Suarez of FC Barcelona were placed second and third, respectively. After them come Paul Pogba, Gareth Bale, Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, and Alvaro Morata.
Messi's salary at Barcelona was estimated to be $44 million annually. The Argentine player is the most valuable sports asset of his club and he alone ensures the profitability of FC Barcelona. His appearance in games makes him a priority for everyone at Barca and that is why he commands such a big pay day. He has won several awards including the Ballon d'Or twice.
Luis Enrique became Messi's manager in late 2015 and it turned out to be a good move since then Barcelona has won four trophies including the Champions League. Before joining Barca, Enrique managed international team Spain who won the 2010 World Cup.
As far as Javier Hernandez is concerned, his annual salary at Manchester United is $7 million. The Mexican striker had a great season for Man United scoring 26 goals in all competitions. He also has two goals in six matches so far this season.
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