Barcelona superstar Messi has caught up to longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo and earned $1 billion before tax throughout his entire career.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner is set to earn £98 million this year due to his insane wages and variety of sponsorship deals.
Forbes estimate Messi’s total yearly earnings for 2020 — including endorsements — at $126 million, ahead of Juventus forward Ronaldo in second on $117 million. Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian forward Neymar is in third with $96 million and teammate Kylian Mbappe, by far the youngest player in the top 10, is fourth with $42 million.
Top 10 list include:
1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina) – $126 million (£98 million)
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus & Portugal) – $117m (£91m
3. NeymarM (Paris Saint-Germain & Brazil) $96 million (£74.7 million)
4. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain & France) – $42 million (£32.6 million)
5. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool & Egypt) – $37 million (£28.8 million)
6. Paul Pogba – $34 million (Manchester United & France) (£26.5 million)
7. Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona & France) – $33 million (£25.7 million)
8. Gareth Bale – $29 million (Real Madrid & Wales) (£22.6 million)
9. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich & Poland) – $28 million (£21.8 million)
10. David de Gea (Manchester United & Spain) – $27 million (£21 million)
