Cristiano Ronaldo has jumped above Lionel Messi to become the world’s highest-paid footballer, according to Forbes.
The American business magazine’s latest rankings order the top 10 footballers by their total earnings.
Ronaldo is set to earn $125 million before taxes this season, with his salary at Manchester United estimated to stand at $70 million. He is predicted to earn another $55 million through endorsements.
Messi, meanwhile, has dropped down to second. He made the move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain this summer. The Argentinian was due to sign a new deal with his boyhood club, but was unable to do so due to LaLiga restrictions on player registrations.
According to Forbes, the 34-year-old will earn a salary of $75 million at PSG – a figure above that of Ronaldo – with a further $35 million accrued in endorsements.
In third place is Messi’s PSG team-mate Neymar. Like the Argentinian, Neymar will earn a salary of $75 million, with $20 million in endorsements.
A total of three Premier League players make up the top ten. Liverpool‘s Mohamed Salah is in fifth place with total earnings of $41 million. He will earn $25 million in salary from Reds according to the rankings – a figure that could increase in future if he signs an improved new deal with the club.
Ronaldo’s United team-mate Paul Pogba sits in eighth place with total earnings of $34 million. Forbes say that the Frenchman is “in the middle of a ten-year shoe contract with Adidas that is worth an estimated $45 million”.
Forbes top 10 highest-paid footballers list
Here is the top 10 highest-paid footballers in full, according to Forbes:
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) $125 million
- Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain) $110m
- Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) $95m
- Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) $43m
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) $41m
- Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) $35m
- Andres Iniesta (Vissel Kobe) $35m
- Paul Pogba (Manchester United) $34m
- Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) $32m
- Eden Hazard (Real Madrid) $29m
Featured Image Credit: Getty
