April 27th, 2011
The Rich List: The World’s Highest-Paid Players
There’s never a time we don’t find ourselves wondering what our walk-in closets will look like once we hook, line and sinker one of the world’s wealthiest footballers. After all, as one reader put it, it’s important to understand how our men will help us help the economy.
According to Forbes’ list of the best-paid footballers for 2010 (based on salaries, bonuses and endorsement income), here’s the pockets you should take stock of during your stalkfest adventures – as well as which WAGs stand in the way of you and your McMansion fairytales:
1. David Beckham, $40 million – married to Victoria Beckham; expecting a fourth child this July
2. Cristiano Ronaldo, $38 million – dating Irina Shayk
3. Leo Messi, $32 million – single as far as we can tell; was once dating hometown sweetheart with great hair, Antonella Roccuzzo
4. Kaká, $25 million – married to Caroline Celico; proud new papa to baby numero dos
5. Ronaldinho, $24 – single as they come
6. Thierry Henry, $21 million – dating Andrea Rajacic
7. Wayne Rooney, $20 million – married to Coleen Rooney
8. (tie) Frank Lampard, $17 million – dating Christine Bleakley
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, $17 million – married to Helena Seger
10. Samuel Eto’o, $15 million – married to Georgette Eto’o
this is great to see,i love my boy Lion Messi……………………………..he's always there for the Barcelona,unstoppable messi…………….one love
I thought Ronaldinho was married with a kid. Did they divorce?
[...] The Rich List: The World’s Highest-Paid Players Source: http://www.kickette.com/the-rich-list-the-worlds-highest-paid-players/ [...]
I would love to see the front side to that backside. =X
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkce0cDZdj1qes27u….
Look at his list: http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkce0cDZdj1qes27u….
*this
ronaldinho is married to a brasilian dancer isnt he?
Doesn’t Cristiano dating the Fayk bring DOWN his worth?
Oh, it doesn't smell so bad. Only in the really sticky part of the summer.
I think Henry is just enjoying the fact that not too many people know who he is in the states. He said in an interview that he feels like he can be himself more in NY because he is not bombarded with fans and photographers whenever he goes out. With the NFL lockout, that might change as more people will be looking for a replacement.
Zlatan and Helena ain't married, they're domestic partners
Some comments were deleted because they were off topics.
17 million a year for Frank to run up and down the pitch, scoring occasionally, looking adorable, frequently hugging John, and being just generally fabulous? Money well spent!
I thought Leo beat Beckham as the highest paid player, weird! I don't care because Leo is AMAZING and David was amazing, but should retire, personally sorry Becks but I think your football days should end
It isn't based on what you and I would pay him…
yes, Cris worth that money for sure! Becks? i don't think so…
Ewww Wayne Rooney is not worth all the cash he gets…
I would would pay Leo, Thierry or Frank to marry me. Do you think they'd take $500 and a US passport?
not bitchy at all, imo. I'm right there with ya!
And that means you get to see J.T. all the time too, it's the perfect situation for you ha!
Aww, I've met Ronaldinho and he's lovely. Lots of women would value that over the fact he isn't absolutely gorgeous.
I'm surprised David Beckham is on top.. I thought Leo was number one and and CR 2. O well
Nah, they do a hell of a lot more shilling and also do modeling, plus they have their fashion lines or whatever. I don't really see Messi as the type to model underwear.
Well…he did…that one time. It didn't go so well.
Oh god, I forgot about that (intentionally). I think Messi is absolutely adorable in his own way, but he is no model.
Ronaldinho isnt ugly. I find him quite a cutie. Sure he's not going to stop you dead in the street but he's far from ugly. Beauty is only skin deep, remember that. Same goes for people slating Rooney and Ribery. Coleens been with Rooney since she was 16 when he had no money and was a normal boy from Liverpool. Better then all the gold-diggers and wannabe's there are around now a days
Maybe people keep slating Rooney for his apalling behaviour on and off the pitch, not his looks?
Same Here!
Zlatan and Helena aren't married, are they?
Can anyone answer my question? I could have sworn I read somewhere that shes not interested in being married? I dunno, not that it matters but I thought they weren't officially married.
I don't think they are either
No, they are not married.
It's upsetting how much these guys get. People who go to school and work their butt off to get through college and pay student loads will never see this kind of money in their lifetime. Kaká, who didn't "work" for 8 months and a few weeks after returning was broken again, gets $25 million.
I see what you mean, but I'm going to play devils advocate here for a moment– mind you I'm a poor debt-wielding grad myself. At least these guys (and other athletes, performers, etc.) have a rare talent that brings lots of people joy to watch, whereas there are legions of far far wealthier finance folks just pushing money around, destroying economies, and basically contributing to the moral rot of the world. Plus, most of them pay the price– poor shy little Leo's family gets shot at, creepy interviewers ask to hug and kiss him, and he can't walk down the street of any major city in the world without being mobbed. Seems envious until you imagine how nice personal freedom is.
I agree, Kaká doesn't deserve the money!
Politicians are worse imo, the take the money from ….us!!!
To go one step further into 'devil's advocate' territory, these men begin training for their careers as children- most are usually in a football academy of some sort by the time they're 13, if not younger.
In many cases, they don't even get to finish school because they're concentrating on their football training and fledgling, and college is an impossible dream for those who do have it because by then (age 18-early 20s, mind you) they're probably playing professionally and simply don't have time for the demands of a university.
If they're lucky, they make it to the highest level of professional teams, have good careers through their 20s- but by the time they're a little way into their 30s, their bodies can't perform at that level any more and they have to think of retiring from the game, especially if they're strikers- goalkeepers can last into their early 40s, but for most- even the best players- it's over by the time they're 35. This, when retirement age for "normal" careers is the late 50s or even 60s. Given how short most footballers' careers are and just how much they have to deal with (intrusive media, and loss of privacy, for starters) I find it hard to hold a grudge against them for the crazy amounts of money they do earn when they're still playing.
So stop watching them and coming on here reading about their lives since it upsets you so much.
I'm always curious to know where all this money GOES?
In any event, I've just noticed that most of these men are in seemingly stable relationships. Even CR7; he may be a manwhore, but he's not really a cheater (not that I recall, anyway). I don't know what this means, but I'm just observing.
I will foreverr LOVE that pic of messi..it just defines 'cute lil puppy that needs to be taken home'
however, i wish i was paid that much money! then i wud be able to travel and attend as many games as i wanted!!
Amen to that!
Right there with you girl
Oh, Kickette, that pic of CRon is as classic as they come. Must be nice to have an deep pockets.
Why does your comment on #5 make me sad? (Wouldn't it be awesome if he got braces? Or would that just be like Barbara Streisand getting a nose job?)
I'm with you on the braces. He's not an ugly man but those teeth take center stage.
I think that braces would do a world of good for him. Have you seen older pictures of Cristiano? He needed braces and skin care really bad and now he's gorgeous.
Please don't fix the typo—I am amused by the thought of Ronaldinho earning only $24.
Also, ESPN published their money issue last week, and it has lists in it of the highest-earning athletes by country and the highest earners in a number of sports (salary from their clubs only, not including endorsements, etc.). It is not surprising that many of them are footballers.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6391…
I have to admit seeing that I make more than the highest paid footballer from Chad made me feel just a bit happy. That was a good article though – I do wonder if some ladies use it as a chart of where to move (let's hope not, Qatar still does not seem like a place to live year round – I live in a desert so I can talk).
I've a good friend from Bermuda and I admit I shouted at him a bit about the GDP of his island. It's ridiculous, no?