Messi just became the highest paid football player and does this settle the competition with Ronaldo?
Football players are international superstars. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah and Mesut Özil have super fans in all corners of the world. This is possibly why sports rivalries are also some of the most intense and their fans are ready to fight to the very end for their favorite teams and players.
The rivalry between the fans of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has to be one of the most epic of football history
When one wins an award or scores more goals than the other, fans come out like hungry hyennas to attack one another with facts, stats, insults, jabs and whatnot.
Ronaldo vs Messi 🔥
🐐 WHO IS THE G.O.A.T? pic.twitter.com/y7lMH3m4JA
— Football Factly (@FootballFactly) June 17, 2019
Well, it seems one aspect of this rivalry between the two legendary footballers might have been settled, at least for this year
Forbes just released its annual list of the world’s highest paid football players and Messi has topped the list. Not only does he come up on top he also beat Ronaldo by $18million. So let’s see the breakdowns shall we:
Messi is on top with $127million which he earned as $92 million from his salary and bonus and $35 million from brand and sponsorships. Meanwhile Ronaldo is at number 2 spot making a total of $109million with $65 million of that coming from his salary and bonus and $44 million from brands and sponsorships.
These two may be the most exciting rivalry but the list of highest paid footballers 2019 is filled with some of the biggest names in football. Here’s the complete list:
1. Lionel Messi
- Total: $127M
- Salary & Bonus: $92M
- Endorsements: $35M
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
- Total: $109M
- Salary & Bonus: $65M
- Endorsements: $44M
3. Neymar Jr.
- Total: $105M
- Salary & Bonus: $75M
- Endorsements: $30M
4. Paul Pogba
- Total: $33M
- Salary & Bonus: $29M
- Endorsements: $4M
5. Andrés Iniesta
- Total: $32.5M
- Salary & Bonus: $30M
- Endorsements: $2.5M
6. Alexis Sánchez
- Total: $30.8M
- Salary & Bonus: $28.3M
- Endorsements: $2.5M
7. Kylian Mbappé
- Total: $30.6M
- Salary & Bonus: $26.6M
- Endorsements: $4M
8. Mesut Özil
- Total: $30.2M
- Salary & Bonus: $23.7M
- Endorsements: $6.5M
9. Oscar
- Total: $29M
- Salary & Bonus: $27M
- Endorsements: $2M
10. Antoine Griezmann
- Total: $27.7M
- Salary & Bonus: $23.2M
- Endorsements: $4.5M
11. Gareth Bale
- Total: $27.1M
- Salary & Bonus: $20.6M
- Endorsements: $6.5M
12. Mohamed Salah
- Total: $25.1M
- Salary & Bonus: $16.1M
- Endorsements: $9M
13. Ángel Di María
- Total: $23.7M
- Salary & Bonus: $21.7M
- Endorsements: $2M
14. Luis Suárez
- Total: $23.6M
- Salary & Bonus: $20.1M
- Endorsements: $3.5M
15. Sergio Agüero
- Total: $22.6M
- Salary & Bonus: $17.1M
- Endorsements: $5.5M
16. Thiago Silva
- Total: $22.5M
- Salary & Bonus: $21.5M
- Endorsements: $1M
17. James Rodríguez
- Total: $22.1M
- Salary & Bonus: $16.3M
- Endorsements: $4.5M
18. Sergio Ramos
- Total: $21.9M
- Salary & Bonus: $19.9M
- Endorsements: $2M
19. Graziano Pelle
- Total: $21.7M
- Salary & Bonus: $20.7M
- Endorsements: $1M
20. Gerard Piqué
- Total: $21.7M
- Salary & Bonus: $17.7M
- Endorsements: $4M
As for the rivalry about who’s the G.O.A.T among Messi and Ronaldo, fans are still terribly divided
When you want to compare Lionel Messi and Ronaldo. Don’t come to me with trophies that Eder and Guedes won, I would not engage you.
Until your goat wins 5 Ballon D’ors and 6 Golden Boots while playing in midfield, he’s forever inferior to Lionel Messi.
— sploofeek (@sploofeek) June 16, 2019
This guy just settled the Messi and Ronaldo debate. 👀 pic.twitter.com/aGzK9piTJO
— Football Tweet (@Football__Tweet) June 18, 2019
Who is actually the "Big Game Player?"
Messi: 29 goals and 14 assists in 34 finals
Ronaldo: 19 goals and 2 assists in 28 finals
Ronaldo is two seasons ahead of Messi yet Messi has played and won more finals. But they said Messi is the fraud while Ronaldo is a beast. They LIED!
— BeksFCB (@JoshuaUbeku) June 19, 2019
Who is your favorite footballer? Did he make the list? Let us know in the comments below.
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Cover image via: elpais.com