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Lionel Messi beats David Beckham to title of world's best paid football player
Barcelona's Lionel Messi has deposed David Beckham to top France Football's list of the highest-paid football players.
Published: 2:02PM GMT 24 Mar 2010
Rich vein of form: Lionel Messi, Barcelona's European Player of the Year elect, earned more than David Beckham last year Photo: GETTY IMAGES
The Argentina forward is said to have made £29.6m last year.
Beckham, who has been first or second in each of the last nine years, took home 'only' £27.3m in 2009, according to the report.
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Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo was third with £26.9m, while teammate Kaka was a distant fourth with £16.9m. Thierry Henry was fifth with £16.2m.
With four of the top five earners playign in La Liga the list is an indicator that the financial dominance enjoyed previously by the Premier League has shifted to Spain.
Wayne Rooney, the most valued footballer in England on the pitch and Messi's only, if still distant, rival for European player of the year, did not even make the top ten.
France Football, which has ranked the best-paid players since 1999, calculated the figures based on salary and endorsements.
List in full:
1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) £29.6m
2. David Beckham (LA Galaxy) £27.3m
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) £26.9m
4. Kaka (Real Madrid) £16.9m
5. Thierry Henry (Barcelona) £16.2m
6. Ronaldinho (AC Milan) £15.4m
7. Carlos Tevez (Manchester City) £13.8m
8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona) £13m
9. Frank Lampard (Chelsea) £12.7m
10. Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan) £12.4m
Barcelona's Lionel Messi has deposed David Beckham to top France Football's list of the highest-paid football players.
Published: 2:02PM GMT 24 Mar 2010
Rich vein of form: Lionel Messi, Barcelona's European Player of the Year elect, earned more than David Beckham last year Photo: GETTY IMAGES The Argentina forward is said to have made £29.6m last year.
Beckham, who has been first or second in each of the last nine years, took home 'only' £27.3m in 2009, according to the report.
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Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo was third with £26.9m, while teammate Kaka was a distant fourth with £16.9m. Thierry Henry was fifth with £16.2m.
With four of the top five earners playign in La Liga the list is an indicator that the financial dominance enjoyed previously by the Premier League has shifted to Spain.
Wayne Rooney, the most valued footballer in England on the pitch and Messi's only, if still distant, rival for European player of the year, did not even make the top ten.
France Football, which has ranked the best-paid players since 1999, calculated the figures based on salary and endorsements.
List in full:
1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) £29.6m
2. David Beckham (LA Galaxy) £27.3m
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) £26.9m
4. Kaka (Real Madrid) £16.9m
5. Thierry Henry (Barcelona) £16.2m
6. Ronaldinho (AC Milan) £15.4m
7. Carlos Tevez (Manchester City) £13.8m
8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona) £13m
9. Frank Lampard (Chelsea) £12.7m
10. Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan) £12.4m