Football is the most popular sport in the world and is loved by the people of the entire world. The players that rest out, the superstars of the game are real celebrities in their own right, admired fanatically by the countless youngsters hoping to reach the same lofty goals. Being an asset to a team they enjoy rewards with glittery contracts, endorsement deals with some of the biggest corporations in the world, and the opportunities to increase their own fame. Following are the top ten richest footballers.

#1) David Beckham

David Robert Joseph Beckham is the star player of England. He is now the richest Football player in the world with a net worth of $50.6 million USD. Presently, he is playing for the team Paris Saint-Germain Club most of his income sources are from modeling and spokesperson, having represented ads for Adidas, Pepsi, Vodafone, Calvin Klein, Gillette, and others. This great player has donated a $5.3 million salary to a children’s charity. Recently to become the ambassador for the Chinese Super League, he has signed a multi-year deal.

#2) Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo, the superstar football player from the Portugal soccer team is currently playing for Real Madrid. Ronaldo has broken several records over the years while he was playing for his former team, Manchester United, or with his current club, Real Madrid. His eye-popping record of 212 goals in 208 games has made him a regular on the highlight reel. Today with his net worth of over $43.5 million he has become the wealthiest football player. His major earnings come from his endorsement contracts with big companies like Motorola, Coca-Cola, and Nike. His new clothing line is also set to strike the shops in time for Christmas. In fact, he is the first celebrity to reach 50 million followers on the social media site.

#3) Lionel Messi

Lionel Andres “Leo” Messi is arguably the best footballer that this sport has ever seen. Messi is from Argentina and plays for his national team and La Liga club FC Barcelona. He was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario in Argentina. Presently he serves as the captain of his country’s national football team. This Argentinean football player has managed to help out his team win every possible trophy in the world of football ever since he began playing with the club. With his net worth of $41.3 million, he became one of the richest players. He has endorsement deals with VIP corporations throughout the world, including Adidas and Coca-Cola. He has also been featured on the cover of the FIFA video game several times.

#4) Sergio Aguero

Sergio Leonel “Kun” Aguero Del Castillo is Argentina footballer. This star player was born on 2 June 1988 in Quilmes, Argentina. He plays as a striker for both the Argentina national football team and the Premier League club Manchester City. After joining the five-year deal worth £35 million (€42.35 million) with Manchester City, Aguero became the most expensive footballer in the club’s history. At this small age, he has already become one of the richest players in the world. Apart from his sports salary, he earns a lot from endorsing brands like Pepsi and Puma which makes his net worth a whopping $20.8 million.

#5) Wayne Rooney

Wayne Mark Rooney is a British footballer born on 24 October 24, 1985. This superstar among superstars plays as a forward for the England national team and the Premier League club Manchester United. This lad has broken many records all the way through his career and he is nowhere close to overdoing so. Not just he is one of the best strikers in the world but also has a charismatic personality which helped him lead to lucrative endorsement deals with big labels such as Coca-Cola, Nike, and Ford. His annual income is approximately $29 million USD and he has a net worth of about $20.3 million.

#6) Yaya Toure

Gnegneri Yaya Toure commonly known as Yaya Toure is an African footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Ivory Coast national team and Premier League club Manchester City. This ultimate super athlete was born on 13th May 1983 in Bouake, Ivory Coast. Toure is famous for combining great vision and physical power with technique and passing ability. He is a versatile player who aspired to be a striker during his youth. At the age of 18, he started his career at the Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas. Today he had nothing but success on the team. He scores goals when they are most needed. Yaya earns over $20 million per year which makes his net worth $20.2 million. A large sum of his wealth comes from endorsing the brands like Puma and Adidas.

#7) Fernando Torres

Fernando Jose Torres Sanz, pet name El Nino, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a striker for the Spain national team and Chelsea Club. Torres began his career with Atletico Madrid. Torres is the only player from the Spanish Football team who is on the list of the top 10 richest soccer players. Presently he has been ranked as the seventh richest player with a $20 million net worth. His annual salary is around $17 million whereas from his endorsement of different brands including PepsiCo, Adidas, etc. He makes out around $3 million a year.

#8) Neymar

Neymar da Silva Santos Junior is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a forward or winger for La Liga club FC Barcelona and the Brazilian national team. This 21-year-old star footballer made a huge leap in the direction of stardom by moving his gear to the Barcelona club from where he has collected approximately $78 million USD which made his net worth $19.5 million. His annual income from sports is around $20.5 million and makes out around $10 million by endorsing brands like Nike Inc, Volkswagon, etc. The potential for this juvenile striker is enormous. He is deadly accurate, quick to strike, and knows the ins and outs of this highly viable sport.

#9) Ricardo Kaka

A Ricardo Izecson do Santos Leite, commonly known as Ricardo “Kaka”, is a Brazilian football player. This player was born on 22 April 1982 in Gama, Federal District, Brazil. Kaka is a football attacking midfielder who is currently playing for the Brazilian national, team, the Spanish La Liga club, and Real Madrid. With his net worth of $19.3 million, he is ranked among the richest footballer in the world. His major sponsor includes Giorgio Armani, Guarana, and Adidas. On 23 December 2005 Kaka married his childhood sweetheart Caroline Celico.

#10) Didier Drogba

Didier Yves Drogba Tebily is an Ivorian football player. He plays as a forward for Galatasaray in the Super Lig. This 35-year-old footballer was born on 11 March in Abidjan. Currently, he is the captain of the Cote D’Ivoire national football team. This all-time top scorer has won the prestigious Golden Foot in October 2013 while playing for Galatasaray. His net worth is $17.8 million of which the major income comes from contracts with brands like Pepsi, Nike, etc.

Verdict

Football is not just a sport but has become a high-paid profession in the sports club making the sports person richer. This list of richest football players is proof of that.