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#3 Lionel Messi – $295 million
The only footballer ever to win the Ballon d’Or five times, Lionel Messi is an absolute phenomenon. The diminutive Argentine has been Barcelona’s main man since 2008 and has put in some spell bounding performances in the Champions League. With a market value of €120 million, Lionel Messi is the second most valuable player in the world currently.
Most figures put Messi’s salary to be around £330,000/week after tax about £30,000 lesser than Ronaldo. However, Messi earns more than $20 million a year from sponsors including Adidas, Audemars Piguet, PepsiCo, Gillette, Turkish Airlines and Electronic Arts. Also, Adidas released a limited edition commemorative Messi shoe after Messi broke Barcelona’s all-time scoring record in March and it sold out within an hour in the U.S.
Last year, Messi also portrayed the role of Iron Man in Samsung ad campaigns to promote Avengers: Age of Ultron. He may not be as flamboyant as Cristiano Ronaldo, but his on-field performances and his quiet lifestyle make him trustworthy and a highly marketable figure.
Also, while Messi’s business ventures are not well known, it is known that he has invested in some real estate in his hometown of Rosario. Messi’s salary is set to increase with his new contract and the Argentine maestro’s net worth might well go up next year.
