Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two highest paid footballers in the world and that too by far with their after tax salary contracts with Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. We take a look at top 15 footballers with massive salaries currently active in 2015-16.
Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are by far the most highest paid footballers in the world. Both players have unique contracts with their respective clubs where they are paid salaries after tax. Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Real Madrid back in 2009 for a world record fee and he became the highest paid player in the world when he signed new 5 year deal with Real Madrid back in 2013 and that will keep him at Madrid until 2018. His new 5 year contract is worth £76 million in total and he will be paid £288,000 a week after tax which means he costs Real madrid a handsome £30 million a year.
When Ronaldo signed this deal Barcelona also facilitated Messi with a new financially improved contract back in 2014 which will keep the star at Camp Nou till 2018. His new contract will earn him as much as £275,000 a week after tax. That is €20 million a year (£14.5 million) and this is after tax numbers making him second highest paid player in the world behind Cristiano Ronaldo. These two are in league of their own both on the pitch and off it as well. They have highly lucrative endorsement deals almost doubling their yearly incomes.
Who are the other footballers with big salaries ? Well the top 15 highest paid players list has 3 representing Barcelona, 3 Real Madrid, 3 Manchester United and three by Man City. PSG has Zlatan and Thiago Silva while Chelsea’s Eden Hazard is also in the top 15 highest paid players.
NO# | PLAYER | WEEKLY | YEARLY |
1 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) | £288,000 after tax | £15 million after tax |
2 | Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona) | £275,000 after tax | £14.5 million after tax |
3 | Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) | £250,000 | £13 million |
4 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG) | £250,000 | £13 million |
5 | Yaya Toure (Man City) | £230,000 | £11.9 million |
6 | Sergio Aguero (Man City) | £230,000 | £11.9 million |
7 | Asamoah Gyan (Shanghai SIPG) | £227,000 | £11.8 million |
8 | Neymar (Barcelona) | £220,000 | £11.4 million |
9 | David Silva (Man City) | £210,000 | £10.9 million |
10 | Luis Suarez (Barcelona) | £205,000 | £10.66 million |
11 | Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) | £200,000 | £10 million |
12 | David De Gea (Manchester United) | £200,000 | £10 million |
13 | Bastian Schweinsteiger (Man Utd) | £200,000 | £10 million |
14 | Thiago Silva (PSG) | £185,000 | £9.6 million |
15 | Eden Hazard (Chelsea) | £185,000 | £9.6 million |