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LONDON (Reuters) – Lionel Messi was denied a potentially profitable move from Barcelona this month after a contract dispute, but the Argentine maestro remains the world’s richest footballer.
According to a list compiled by Forbes, Messi’s total earnings this year are $ 126 million (98.3 million pounds), $ 92 million from his salary and $ 34 million in endorsements.
It’s no surprise that Cristiano Ronaldo comes in second, though the $ 117 million earnings will soften the blow for the Juventus forward, as will his status as the world’s most followed soccer player on social media.
Neymar is third on the Forbes list ($ 96 million) with his Paris St Germain teammate, Kylian Mbappé, 21, in fourth place ($ 42 million).
The Premier League remains the richest national soccer league in the world, but only two of its outfield players are in the top 10 of the wealth chart: Liverpool title-winning striker Mohamed Salah in fifth place ($ 37 million) and Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba ($ 34 million) in sixth. Pogba’s teammate, goalkeeper David de Gea ($ 27 million) is 10th.
Antoine Griezmann of Barcelona was seventh and Gareth Bale of Real Madrid eighth. Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski, the only player in the Bundesliga, was ninth.
Messi reluctantly agreed to stay at Barcelona for one more season this month, despite saying after the 8-2 Champions League loss to Bayern Munich that he wanted out.
He argued that a clause in his contract that stated that he had to meet a release fee of 700 million euros in order for him to join another club was no longer active and that he could leave with a free transfer, a situation that would have allowed him to command salaries. astronomical figures for players like Manchester City.
Messi, 33, is in the final year of his contract so he could leave for free next summer. By staying at the Catalan club, Messi is in line to receive a loyalty bonus of $ 83 million, so it is likely that he will continue to top the money charts.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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