According to France’s Football annual survey, Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is the highest paid footballer in the world, ahead of Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, earning a reported £26m per-year in BASIC wages – excluding bonuses.
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The Mirror report that the Argentine raked in almost an astonishing £1m per-week in 2014, recording an income of £47.8 for the calendar year – as his sponsorships with the likes of Adidas, FIFA, and Turkish Airline, almost doubled his basic Barcelona wage.
Ronaldo’s eyes will be green with envy, as he came in second to his rival, earning £39.7m for the year, followed by Brazil star Neymar on £26.8m.
The highest Premier League earners, meanwhile, are: Robin van Persie (£18.8m), Wayne Rooney (£16.5m), Sergio Aguero (£15.5m), and Eden Hazard and Yaya Toure (£14.7m).
The top paid managers: Jose Mourinho (£13.2m), Arsene Wenger (£8.3m), Louis van Gaal (£7.3m), Andre Villas-Boas (£6.25m), and, unbelievably, David Moyes (£5.14m) – though it’s hard to imagine Real Sociedad matching his Manchester United salary.