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6. Andres Iniesta
Club: Vissel Kobe
Contract length: Three-year contract worth $30 million annually (2018-2021)
Endorsements: $2 million
Salary & Bonus: $30 million
Total: $32 million
Notable sponsors: Nike, Sony, Arcos, Nissan, UFX
After 22 years with Barcelona, Andres Iniesta parted company with the Catalan giants in the summer of 2018 and is currently plying his trade with Vissel Kobe. The Spaniard is the highest-paid outside Europe and is set to spend three years in Japan, where David Villa and Fernando Torres also plyed their trades before announcing their retirements recently.
Iniesta is Nike athlete and is also sponsored by the likes of Sony and Nissan and the Spaniard will go down as one of the most decorated players in the history of the game, having won notable trophies for club and country.
5. Paul Pogba
Club: Manchester United
Contract length: 5-year-deal worth $20 million per season (2016-2021)
Endorsements: $13 million
Salary & Bonus: $20 million
Total: $33 million
Notable sponsors: Adidas
Paul Pogba returned to Manchester United from Juventus in the summer of 2016 for £89 million, a record-breaking fee at the time and it could be argued that the Frenchman hasn't lived up to the billing with the record English champions. The former Juve man has not produced the goods consistently for United but remains one of the key players for club and country, as he played a starring role in France's triumph in the 2018 edition of the FIFA World Cup.
Pogba is one of Adidas' leading athletes and remains one of the highest-paid players in world football, with a base salary of £20 million a season. The Frenchman is the highest earner in the Premier League currently and it remains to be seen if he extends his stay with the Red Devils beyond next summer, as it has been reported that he has keen admirers at Real Madrid.
4. Gareth Bale
Club: Real Madrid
Contract length: 5-year-deal worth $28 million per season (2016-2022)
Endorsements: $6 million
Salary & Bonus: $29 million
Total: $35 million
Notable sponsors: Adidas, Nissan Motors, Konami and Foot Locker
Despite his current situation at Real Madrid, where he has reportedly had a falling out with manager Zinadine Zidane, Gareth Bale remains one of the highest-paid players in the world and the Welshman made defining contributions in each of their Champions League triumphs in the decade.
Bale is sponsored by the likes of Adidas and Konami amongst others and the former Tottenham Hotspur winger has been a key player for Real Madrid this season, despite coming close to sealing a move to China this summer.
