These are certainly the best of times for Barcelona star Lionel
Messi who has extended his lead in the game beyond the pitch by becoming the
highest earner in world football, putting an end to David Beckham’s two-year
reign as the world’s best-paid footballer.
The 22-year-old Argentine forward pockets an estimated £29.6
million annually, closely followed by Beckham at £27.3m, while Real Madrid
hotshot Cristiano Ronaldo sits in third place with his estimated earnings
having hit the £27m mark.
A £3.6 million bonus earned by Messi for winning the treble last
season with Barcelona took him ahead of the England star, according to the rich
list.
Messi was also ranked as the fourth highest-earning sports
person in the world, behind golfers Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and
basketball star LeBron James.
Carlos Tevez takes the title of highest earner in English
football, coming in seventh place overall at £13.8m.
The ‘Special One’ leads
the pack
Jose Mourinho, whose Inter team last week knocked his former
club Chelsea out of Europe, saw his stock rise further as he topped the list of
football’s highest-earning managers.
The Portuguese manager and self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ earns
£11.7m a year, with Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini in second place making
£10.8m. Former Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, now coaching at
little-known big spenders Bunyodkor in Uzbekistan, comes in third at £8.5m.
Fabio Capello edges past Guus Hiddink into fifth, the pair being the only
two national team coaches on the top 10 horizon.
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