Following the abdication from the throne of Football Finance of long-time ‘richest footballer’ David Beckham, 2014’s rich list makes very different viewing.
It reads as a who’s who of the World’s best players, past and present but where do they stand in the rankings of richest footballers in the world.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – £122m
Following the long time Footballers Rich List champion’s, David Beckham, decision to retire from football in May last year, a spot opened up at the top of the tree to be taken by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Becks has gone on to begin his plans for his own club while Ronaldo has established himself as the best player in the world, with the Ballon d’Or to prove it.
With a fortune worth around £122m, Ronaldo is the richest footballer, currently plying his trade in the professional leagues.
Despite the astronomical size of his fortune, it is still a good £50m short of David Beckham’s estimated wealth in the 2012 edition of the Rich List.
2. Lionel Messi – £120.5m
Messi once again plays second fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo, following up his Ballon d’Or loss to the Portuguese star.
He rakes in almost a quarter of a million pounds per week and is sought out for endorsement and business deals from all corners.
His sponsorship deals are amongst the most lucrative in world football, with EA Sports, Adidas and Turkish Airlines all boasting the pulling power of the little Argentine.
At only 26-years-old, Messi’s star power can only grow bigger and with it, his massive fortune.
3. Samuel Eto’o – £70m
Eto’o was paid a whopping £365,000-a-week during his time at oil rich Anzhi, but despite taking what is a massive pay-cut to join the comparatively frugal Chelsea, he has seen his wealth increase.
His considerable earnings are boosted by endorsement deals with Ford, Puma and the John Richmond fashion label.
While some might think the striker is past his prime in footballing terms, he has really hit career highs financially in his ‘old-age’.
4. Wayne Rooney – £69m
While Rooney’s new mega-contract, earning him £300k-a-week, doesn’t factor into this table, it shows the financial pulling power of the Manchester United striker.
An undoubted star of the English game and the face of a Premier League era, Rooney has capitalised on his star status with wide ranging business interests as well as a wealth of Endorsements.
Rooney’s ‘company,’ Stoneygate 48, reports assets of around £5m and he has invested alongside Ryan Giggs in property projects since 2012.
Despite his appearance, Rooney is extremely canny with what he does with his vast fortune, which looks set to grow at a rate of knots.
5. Kaka – £67.5m
It’s strange to see Kaka amongst such stellar names in world football, such is the fall from the top of the game that the former Ballon d’Or winner has suffered.
Despite his footballing nightmare, Kaka has maintained his massive fortune, no doubt helped by being Gareth Bale’s landlord and raking in £10k-a-month in rent from the Real Madrid winger.
His salary is boosted by massive endorsement deals with Adidas, EA Sports and soft drink company Guarana and has been a model for Armani since 2007.
It’s a remarkable feat for Kaka to remain in the top ten of football’s rich list, considering he refused his £141k-a-week salary during his period on the sidelines with injury.
6. The Neymar Family – £66m
Neymar’s controversial and widely publicised big money move from Santos to Barcelona has seen the gifted Brazilian shoot into the top ten.
The financials of the deal bringing him to Barcelona are still being debated, but the financial pulling power of the darling of Brazilian football cannot be denied.
He is the face of the World Cup in Brazil and is endorsing everything from Nike boots to juice.
7. Ronaldinho – £64m
The talented Brazilian has seen a recovery since his £100,000-a-week deal at former club Flamengo was slashed to £24,000, leading to the former Barca man cancelling his contract and moving to Atletico Mineiro.
His income is topped up by sponsorship deals with EA Sports, Nike, Lloret del Mar, Danone, Lenovo and Kibon.
He was also persuaded to sign a deal with Blackburn’s Venkys as part of their film production company, leading to the animated movie ‘Ronaldinho vs Aliens’ – a Space Jam rip off.
While his star is on the wane, the 33-year-old is still raking it in, maintaining his position in the upper echelons of footballing money-men.
8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – £57m
Ibrahimovic is the most expensive player of all time – totalling transfer fees of £150m across a career that has seen him play for a who’s who of European football giants.
His 2012 transfer from AC Milan to PSG saw him sign a contract worth a massive £220k-a-week, which at the time made his wages only second to Samuel Eto’o’s bumper Anzhi contract.
Sweden’s highest profile footballer, he manages a property empire with assets in Malmo, Stockholm, the Swedish ski resort of Are, Milan and New York as well as an Island off the coast of Stockholm.
Zlatan also trademarked his name in 2009 for a range of sporting goods and enjoys a lucrative contract with Nike.
9. Gianluigi Buffon – £52m
The 36-year-old veteran keeper is still in sparkling form for Juventus and Italy and will compete in his fifth World Cup this summer.
Buffon is the highest paid goalkeeper in the world, commanding £100k-a-week with a further £400k-a-year coming in the form of bonuses.
He backs up his lucrative contract with Juventus with endorsement deals with Fiat, Pepsi and Puma.
10. Thierry Henry – £47m
Henry is one of only two footballers outside of Europe’s major top leagues to make the rich list.
Plying his trade for New York Red Bulls, Henry is now thirty-six but is still banging them in on a regular basis for the MLS side.
His basic salary of $5m makes up only a small percentage of his fortune, with a raft of endorsements and sponsorships making up the majority of his wealth.
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