What’s the story?
Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest earning footballer for the 2016/17 season, according to the latest edition of France Football. The Ballon d’Or winner beat Lionel Messi to the title of the highest earner in football for the first time, to cap off a stellar year individually for the Portuguese star.
Also Read: 10 highest paid sportsmen in the world
In case you didn’t know...
France Football publish a list of football’s top earners every season, with the 12-page pullout detailing the earnings of the top 20 footballers in the world. The study does not just take into account player’s gross salaries, but also factors in bonuses and any income generated via advertisements and endorsements.
The heart of the matter
Until this season, Lionel Messi had reigned supreme when it came to earnings. However, Cristiano Ronaldo has ridden on the coattails of a successful 2015/16 season to rack up his endorsements and advertising revenues, thus taking pole position in the earnings race. Messi’s Barcelona teammate, Neymar Jr. took 3rd place in the earnings list.
It’s not at all surprising to see Cristiano Ronaldo top this list, as the Portuguese star has ramped up his commercial earnings with brands such as Nike, Tag Heuer as well as his own personal business ventures.
According to the study, the top 3 highest earning footballers this season have never earned as much before put together (€219.5 million), while the top 20 footballers also have earned the most in all of football’s history (€619.2 million).
Curiously enough, Ezequiel Lavezzi makes the Top 5, due to his high salary in the Chinese Premier League.
Here are the top 5 highest earning footballers in 2016/17:
| # | Name | Club | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | €87.5 million |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | €76.5 million |
| 3 | Neymar Jr. | Barcelona | €55.5 million |
| 4 | Gareth Bale | Real Madrid | €41 million |
| 5 | Ezequiel Lavezzi | Hebei China Fortune | €28.5 million |
What next?
Lionel Messi’s stunning season so far has meant the Argentine is being tipped to regain his Ballon d’Or crown from Cristiano Ronaldo, although things might stay the same off the pitch in terms of financial matters. The Portuguese star’s endorsements has never been as high, and he is unlikely to relinquish this crown any time soon.
Author’s Take
A player’s earnings and their talent is not always a strictly fair correlation, as can be seen from Lavezzi’s presence in this list. Cristiano Ronaldo was the best player in 2015/16, and has thus consequently reaped his monetary rewards in 2016/17 – and no one can begrudge him that honour.
