Lionel Messi is the highest-paid footballer in 2014

 

Lionel Messi is the highest-paid footballer on the planet, banking nearly £1million a week last year in wages and sponsorship deals.

The Argentina and Barcelona favourite earned an eye-watering £47.8m in 2014, with his club salary of £26m topped up by lucrative endorsements with the likes of adidas, FIFA 15 and Turkish Airlines.

It puts him well ahead of his Real Madrid and Portugal nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo, who brought in £39.7m, according to the latest France Football magazine rich list.

• Lionel Messi tops the France Football rich list with 2014 income of £47.8m
• His Barcelona club salary of £26m is topped up by sponsorship deals
• Cristiano Ronaldo comes in second with annual earnings of £39.7m
• Those two come well ahead of third-placed Neymar on £26.8m
• Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero feature in top 10

Chelsea's Jose Mourinho is highest-earning manager on £13.2m a year