Lionel Messi signs £16.3m-a-year Barcelona deal to become world's highest-paid player Monday May 19,2014

Lionel Messi put pen to paper on a new contract with Barcelona that made him the highest-paid player in world football on £16.3million a year.

The Barcelona forward was pictured with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu signing his new deal two days after the Spanish season ended.

Lionel Messi overtook Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (£15m) on the list of highest-paid football players

Wayne Rooney, the highest-paid player in England, is on £15.6m a year (£300,000 a week).

Lionel Messi’s previous deals have been structured so that basic pay before bonuses is re-set each year of the deal according to bonuses earned the previous season.
In effect Messi will earn £16.3m next season but if he wins the Champions League the appropriate bonus will be added and the sum total will become his new basic pay level the following season.

Lionel Messi’s £250m buy-out clause will remain the same leaving the door open for Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain to make a bid, though the rigours of Financial Fair Play surely rule out such a move for either club.

A statement issued by the Catalans last Friday read: 'FC Barcelona has reached an agreement to adjust the terms in the contract binding Leo Messi to the club as a professional first team player. The revised and updated contract will be signed over the next few days.'