Lionel Messi has been recently ranked by Forbes as the highest-paid footballer in the world, with Cristiano Ronaldo not far behind.
The appeal of the duo concerning advertisements and endorsement deals is indisputable, Messi having worked with all of Adidas, Mastercard, and PepsiCo in the last year.
Messi and Ronaldo are followed by Neymar, Paul Pogba and Andres Iniesta, the latter continuing to surpass more current stars courtesy of his career in Japan.
Alexis Sanchez, Kylian Mbappe, Mesut Ozil, Oscar and Antoine Griezmann also feature in the top 10.
Oscar and Graziano Pelle are the only players other than Iniesta to feature from outside the top European leagues.
There is a distinguished mention for last year's Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric, who does not feature but is predicted to return to the list next year after agreeing an extension at Real Madrid.
The full top 20 can be seen below, transfer fees not included:
SEE ALSO: Stats Show Ronaldo Has A Harder Job ‘Carrying' Portugal Than Messi With Argentina
List of Highest-Paid Footballers In The World
To compile the list of Highest-Paid Footballers In The World, Forbes claim they spoke with clubs, players’ agents, commercial sponsors and soccer experts in the U.S. and Europe.
SEE ALSO: Most Capped Super Eagles Players – All-Time Top 10 Listed
All figures are converted to U.S. dollars and include soccer salaries, bonuses, and endorsements. Transfer fees are excluded. Earnings are for the period June 1, 2018, to May 31, 2019.
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 years ago
