Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's highest-paid footballer
The legendary Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's highest-paid footballer. According to Forbes, Ronaldo has overtaken Lionel Messi to take the top spot. Ronaldo moved to Manchester United in the summer from Juventus and is going strong. Meanwhile, Messi, whose 21-year journey with Barcelona got over, has had a difficult start to his Paris Saint-Germain stint. Here we present you the details.
Ronaldo tops the show with $125mn in earnings
36-year-old Ronaldo is showing no signs of stopping on and off the pitch. He tops the show with $125mn in earnings. Ronaldo is drawing a net salary of $70mn at Manchester United. The rest of his earnings are from valuable commercial partnerships with the likes of Nike, Herbalife and Clear shampoo, besides the range of CR7-branded products, which include everything from underwear to hotels.
Messi follows suit with $110mn in earnings
Messi is second on the list after taking a significant pay cut to join PSG. His earnings in Barcelona was reportedly a reason for his departure after La Liga intervened. However, Messi still earns $75mn in wages at PSG. Messi, who topped the list last year, earns an estimated $35mn in commercial endorsements from Adidas and Pepsi, among several other brand partners.
PSG duo Neymar and Mbappe is next
PSG superstars Neymar follows Ronaldo and Messi to take the third place. The Brazilian international signed a new four-year contract extension with PSG earlier this year. The report adds that Neymar pockets $95mn in earnings. Notably, Neymar had signed an exclusive content deal with video-sharing app Triller in November 2020. Kylian Mbappe is fourth with earnings of $43mn. He is expected to leave PSG.
Other players that make the top 10
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is fifth, earning $41mn. Bayern Munich ace Robert Lewandowski ($35mn) is next. Lewandowski owns several business ventures, including his own personal RL9 clothing and coffee brands. Former Barca legend Andres Iniesta is seventh, earning $35mn. He has extended his contract with Japanese club Vissel Kobe until 2023. Paul Pogba ($34mn), Gareth Bale ($32mn), and Eden Hazard ($29mn) complete the list.
