'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The coronavirus crisis has hit every aspect of football in the last few months but what kind of impact has it had on the players' earnings? Forbes' annual report on the world's highest-paid athletes sheds a light on the same.
Over the years, football players have emerged as some of the best-paid athletes in the sports industry, thanks to the ever-increasing popularity of the game and its multi-million dollar TV rights deals. Their lucrative contracts and endorsements have put them right beside some of the highest-earning celebrities in the world.
Currently, three of the top five highest-paid athletes are football players, though unlike last year, the top spot has gone to Roger Federer, a player who boasts $100 million in endorsements alone.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced many football clubs to reduce players' wages and as per the Forbes report, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's earnings have subsequently taken a hit of $28 million this year.
Usual suspects Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar have all made it to this list and occupy the top three spots. They are also joined by a couple of speedy wingers to complete the top five.
Let us now take a look at the football players who have made the most money between June 2019 and June 2020 through wages and endorsements.
#5 Kylian Mbappe - $33.8 million
Frenchman Kylian Mbappe is often considered to be football's next superstar and a true heir to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's throne.
The 21-year-old winger is said to have earned $33.8 million in salary and endorsements between June 2019 and May 2020. His contract with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain account for $20.8 million of his earnings, while the remaining $13 million come from his various endorsement deals.
The World Cup winner is already an ambassador for some of the biggest brands in the world including Nike, Electronic Arts and Hublot. At his current career trajectory, it becomes clear that he is destined for greatness in football and may well end up at the top of this list in the near future.
#4 Mohamed Salah - $35.1 million
Liverpool and Egypt forward Mo Salah had a fantastic 2018-19 campaign with the Reds, during which he helped them win their sixth UEFA Champions League title and finished as the top scorer in the Premier League for a second year running.
He raked in $35.1 million in the calendar year that ended this month and though his wages and bonuses of $23.1 million are comparable to the likes of Paul Pogba, Mesut Ozil and David De Gea, who are three of the league's top earners, his $12 million earnings from various endorsements have pushed him above his colleagues.
It is understood that he is in line for even more endorsement deals when Liverpool finally get their hands on the Premier League trophy at the end of this season.
#3 Neymar - $95.5 million
The top three earners in world football- Neymar Jr, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo- all make almost three times the salaries of the other two players on this list.
Neymar, with his gross earnings of $95.5 million, retains his position as the third highest-paid football player behind Messi and Ronaldo. He became the world's most expensive football player ever when PSG paid $263 million to Barcelona in 2017 and the contract he signed with the French club plays a huge role in his earnings, with close to $70.5 million coming from wages and bonuses.
The Brazilian is currently on a five-year contract with PSG through June 2022 and is expected to pocket a whopping $350 million in salary by the time it expires. He also has multiple deals with Nike, Beats Electronics, DAZN, Electronic Arts, Gillette, Mastercard and is one of the most marketable athletes in the world.
#2 Lionel Messi - $104 Million
After having topped the Forbes World's Highest-Paid Athletes list for the first time last year, Barcelona captain Lionel Messi dropped two places to come third in the overall list and second when only football players are considered.
His overall earnings fell by $23 million from the last calendar year but he remains the best-paid football player at club level earning $72 million in wages and bonuses every year.
It is expected that his off-the-field income will see a rise in the coming years after he launched his clothing line and opened his first retail outlet, The Messi Store, in September 2019 in Barcelona.
He has a lifelong deal with Adidas and boasts of several other deals with renowned brands like Gatorade, Huawei, Mastercard and Pepsi.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - $105 Million
Cristiano Ronaldo has once again been crowned the highest-earning football player in the world by Forbes this year, despite Juventus having imposed a wage cut in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
It is understood that he agreed to sacrifice $4.24 million of his annual wages and that is roughly equal to the amount by which his total earnings went down from last year, when he raked in $109 million, indicating that his high market value has not gone down in the last two years.
His earnings for the calendar year can be broken down in two parts: wages and endorsements. Unlike Neymar and Messi, however, the lion's share of his earnings have been generated from endorsements, a total of $60 million, twice the amount Messi makes from similar arrangements.
While the Portuguese football star is used to making history throughout his career, one more historical landmark awaits him at the end of the year as he is set to become the first football player to amass $1 billion in career earnings by the time the season ends.
Ronaldo will be just the third athlete ever to achieve this distinction after Tiger Woods in 2009 and Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
