who do you think top 5 highest paid footballer??
5. Wayne Rooney (England / Man United) £17.2m
Despite a year dogged by scandal, Manchester United hitman Wayne Rooney boosted his earnings by nearly £5m over the past 12 months to enter the top 5 highest-paid footballers for the first time in his career.
Rooney’s potential lack of action during Euro 2012 will likely upset his sponsors, but the likes of Nike and EA Sports will be thrilled with his performances for the Red Devils this season.
4.Samuel Eto’o (Anzhi / Cameroon) £19.4m
No surprises as to why Samuel Eto’o has jumped up 6 places from last year!
The Cameroon international was one of the first ‘marquee’ signings from ultra-spenders Anzhi Makhachkala, and his deal sees his earnings more than double over this time last year.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid / Portugal) £24.3m
Portuguese national squad captain Cristiano Ronaldo drops a place to third this year despite bolstering his earnings by over £1.5m over this time last year.
As well as being officially the most expensive player in the world, the superstar’s deal to keep him in Nike Mercurial football boots is reportedly one of the biggest in sports. Throw in his ludicrously fat-free physique and his status as the most socially-networked athlete in the world, and he’s a worthwhile face for any company.
2.David Beckham (England / LA Galaxy) £26.2mAfter much ‘Umm’ing and ‘Ahh’ing over the MLS off-season, Beckham turned down a potentially massive move to PSG in favour of staying with the LA Galaxy for at least one more season.
The former England captain’s new deal and hugely-marketed underwear deal with highstreet fashion label H&M see GoldenBalls earning over £2m more than in the previous financial year.
1. Lionel Messi (Argentina / Barcelona) £27.5m
Well, well – look who’s back on top! After a record-breaking last 12 months, the mercurial Messi’s earnings are now as superfluous as the words used to describe him.
A signature clothing range with adidas and a deal to see him become the cover star for EA Sports games from this season onward has seen the Barca ace add nearly £8m to his earnings over the past 12 months.
Should his history-making form continue, it’s likely that we’ll see that figure continue to rise – over the next 12 months.
