LONDON— Lionel Messi is the best-paid player in the world, with David Beckham second on football’s rich list and Cristiano Ronaldo third.
The diminutive Argentine is widely regarded as the best player in the game today, having won the Ballon d’Or for the past three years, and reportedly earns €33m per season.
Football’s rich list: Lionel Messi (Barcelona) €33m David Beckham (LA Galaxy) €31,5m Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) €29,2m Samuel Eto’o (Anzhi) €23,3m Wayne Rooney (Man United) €20,6m Sergio Aguero (Man City) €18,8m Yaya Toure (Man City) €17,6m Fernando Torres (Chelsea) €16,7m Kaka (Real Madrid) €15,5m Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich) €14,3m According to France Football, which is set to release figures for the best paid players in the world yesterday, Barcelona forward Messi raked in €33-million last year from wages and sponsorship deals.
LA Galaxy midfielder and former England captain Beckham, for so long the game’s top earner, came in second on €31,5m, while Real Madrid star Ronaldo collected €29,2m in 2011.
Elsewhere, Samuel Eto’o, who made a lucrative move from Inter to Anzhi Makhachkala last summer, is fourth on the list, with Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney fifth.
Wealthy Premier League outfit Manchester City have two players in the top ten, with Argentine forward Sergio Aguero and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure sixth and seventh, respectively.
The only other club represented twice are Madrid, with Ronaldo’s teammate Kaka ranking ninth.
Elsewhere, it is worth noting Chelsea misfit Fernando Torres, who finally got back among the goals at the weekend, netted €16,7m during his disastrous first 12 months at Stamford Bridge.
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There is not a single player based in Serie A in the top 10, but there is one representative from the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich skipper Philipp Lahm.
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has been revealed as the highest-paid coach in world football, in a list compiled by France Football.
Mourinho picks up the largest salary of football’s bosses, while Arsene Wenger is the most handsomely paid coach in England. Roberto Mancini is paid less than China coach Jose Camacho.
Former Chelsea boss Mourinho picks up €14,8 million per year, while two of his predecessors at Stamford Bridge are also included in the top 10.
Carlo Ancelotti is the second-best paid coach at Paris Saint-Germain, pocketing €13,5 million every 12 months while Guus Hiddink is the fifth-highest on the list, paid €8,6 million a year to spearhead the Anzhi Makhachkala revolution.
Mourinho tops rich list: Jose Mourinho (Real Madrid) €14,8m Carlo Ancelotti (PSG) €13,5m Pep Guardiola (Barcelona) €9,5m Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) €9m Guus Hiddink (Anzhi) €8,6m Fabio Capello (Ex-England) €8,5m Sir Alex Ferguson (Man Utd) €8m Dick Advocaat (Russia) €7m Jose Camacho (China) €6,1m Roberto Mancini (Man City) €5,9m Barcelona’s success has far exceeded that at the Bernabeu in recent years, but Pep Guardiola is still not as well paid as Mourinho, sitting third on the list with a salary of €9,5m.
Four English-based coaches make the list. Arsene Wenger is the richest manager in the Premier League, paid €9m a year despite Arsenal’s seven-year trophy drought.
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is currently trying to catch neighbouring rivals Manchester United and is falling behind Sir Alex Ferguson in pay stakes. The Italian pockets €5,9m each year compared to the 70-year-old’s €8m.
Recently departed England boss Fabio Capello was handed €8,5m during his spell in charge of the Three Lions.
Two other international managers make the top 10, Russia boss Dick Advocaat is rewarded with €7m for his efforts while former Real Madrid coach Jose Antonio Camacho receives €6,1m per year as manager of the newly-rich Chinese national team. —Goal.com
