According to latest research, no footballer in the world made more money than Barcelona superstar, Lionel Messi, with the Argentine finishing ahead of rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, and team mate, Neymar as the world’s highest-paid player of the beautiful game.
The Argentine also finished ahead of Neymar on the basis of salaries, sponsorships and revenues.
As written by France Football magazine (as per Fox Sports), the 28-year-old striker pocketed £59.3m in annual earnings in 2015, a total which saw Cristiano and Neymar finish in second and third, respectively.
The Real Madrid superstar reportedly earned £54m in a year which kicked off with a Ballon d’Or triumph, although he lost his crown as the world’s best to La Pulga earlier in 2016.
The Brazilian sensation, on the other hand, finished in third with an annual earning of £34.8m in a year which saw him make the three-man shortlist for the 2015 Ballon d’Or, finishing last to the five-time and three-time recipients.
As revealed by whistle blowing website Football Leaks, the 24-year-old Selecao captain surprisingly makes only £77,000 per week, which tallies up to just over £4m per year.
However, with “pre-tax salaries, sponsorship revenues and various bonuses” taken into consideration, the former Santos ace climbed up the ladders due to the several bonuses he received thanks to the Blaugrana’s treble-winning season.
As written in the report, Angel Di Maria of PSG was the highest earning Ligue 1 player of 2015, having made £19.2m after arriving in France from Man United.
Angel Di Maria, Chelsea, PSG, UEFA Champions League
And the highest-paid manager was none other than the Special One, with Jose Mourinho making approximately £19.2m, more than the likes of Pep Guardiola and Fabio Capello before being sacked by Chelsea.
