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Well-reputed weekly French magazine France Football recently released a report regarding the highest earners in the beautiful game in the on-going season. The list has been concocted on the basis of the players' salaries, bonuses and commercial revenues respectively.
While many of you will be able to guess the top earners on this list, the report hasn't failed to amaze people considerably.
It's quite astonishing that in spite of being the richest football league in the world, and with a plethora of world-class talent at its disposal, none of the giants in the Premier League have been able to make this list.
Without further ado, let's have a look at the five footballers who have accumulated the most monetary gains in season 2017/18.
#5 Gerard Pique (FC Barcelona)
One of the two Barcelona players on this list, Gerard Pique's inclusion has surprised the most. The Spaniard doesn't even make world's top 10 best-paid players right now, but has fared pretty well when it comes to the overall earnings in season 2017/18
Gerard Pique has amassed a wealth of €29 million from salary, bonuses and commercial revenue.
The current campaign has been a fruitful one for the defender, with Barcelona winning the Copa Del Rey and just whiskers away from lifting the La Liga title. Although, a surprising exit in the Champions League will definitely be hard to overcome for him as the season draws to a close.
#4 Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
Following Pique upwards on the ladder is Real Madrid's talismanic forward Gareth Bale. The Welshman has stayed out of the game for a large part of the season due to injuries.
But, the time he has spent on the fringes doesn't seem to have harmed his monetary gains; he has accumulated €44 million throughout the campaign.
Real Madrid fell from their pedestal as the best club in the world this season, and Bale's absence is one of the crucial reasons behind it. With meagre contributions to a lacklustre season, the Welshman will be eager to help as much as he can in Real Madrid's bid to win a third successive Champions League title.
#3 Neymar (Paris Saint Germain)
From his world record move to Paris Saint Germain, fall-out with Edinson Cavani, to rumours about his exit from the club, Neymar has stayed in the spotlight for a large part of the season.
Even so, the constant media attention he has garnered hasn't harmed his displays on the pitch as well as off it. The Brazilian has amassed an impressive sum of €81.5 million, and the mammoth salary he gets paid at PSG is a major factor behind it.
Barring an unexpected and early exit from the Champions League, Neymar has contributed well in PSG's total domination in France. The club is sailing forward to a domestic treble, with the league title and Coupe de France already in the bag.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
A man who is no stranger to topping such rich-lists, Cristiano Ronaldo is bound to be disappointed if he does read these figures.
The Portuguese talisman topped this list by earning €87.5 million last season. He has pocketed €94 million, showing improvement on a personal level.
However, in spite of earning more than what he did last year, the Real Madrid forward has slipped to the second spot.
Ronaldo endured a tough spell of 6 months as the season started, but he is back among the best after reviving himself. Since January he has found his goal scoring form, and that could well be the most crucial contribution should Los Blancos lift the Champions League trophy this season.
#1 Lionel Messi
Leo Messi is well accustomed to topping the lists that describe the world's best players. But, when it comes to financial gains, he is often overshadowed by his nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, that story has been different this season. Messi earned €11 million less than CR7 last season, but he has more than made up for it by pocketing a wealth of €126 million in this campaign. The Argentinian has amazed people not only by topping this list, but also by the massive margin of €32 million that separates him and Ronaldo.
Barring the humiliating evisceration at the hands of AS Roma in the Champions League, the Barca forward will be happy enough to see a La Liga and a Copa Del Rey winners' medal dangling down his neck.
