Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi are world’s highest paid players
Get breaking news and SI’s biggest stories instantly. Download the new Sports Illustrated app (iOS or Android) and personalize your experience by following your favorite teams and SI writers.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi topped Forbes’s list of the highest paid soccer players, the magazine announced.
Ronaldo took the top spot on the list, earning $82 million—$53 million of which comes in salary from Real Madrid, with the rest made up of endorsements.
Messi may be the winner of FIFA’s most recent Ballon d'Or, but he’s second to Ronaldo when it comes to money. The Barcelona and Argentine national made $77 million in 2015, $51 million from his club team and $26 million in endorsements.
After the top two earners, there was quite a drop off to No. 3 on the list. Zlatan Ibrahimovic took the third spot, making $37 million, of which $30 million was from his salary and $7 million was from endorsements.
• WAHL: Your questions answered on Copa America, Pulisic and more
Rounding out the top five were Messi’s Barcelona teammate Neymar at $36 million, and Ronaldo’s Real Madrid teammate Gareth Bale, who made $34 million last year.
You can check out the full list here.
