By knocking Lionel Messi off the top spot, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has become the richest player in the world. The player is now sitting at the number one position of the table drawn up by the sports web goal.com.
With an estimated total worth of €148 million, the Real Madrid forward has ‘out-riched’ Messi by €2 million.
Ronaldo has over the last 12 months been coining it in, and has now taken over David Beckham’s image as the new footballer rock star.
The list drawn up by the analysts takes into account all the players’ income throughout their careers. Ronaldo has taken over the position that Beckham held in 2013 as the English player hung up his boots last May.
Wayne Rooney comes in at fourth place after his club offered him the most lucrative contract ever signed in British football history – €19 million a year. The controversial signing of Neymar has upped the Brazilian to sixth place, after taking into account the €40 million “compensation” given to his father.
Chelsea forward Samuel Eto’o is third on the list ahead of Rooney, thanks to the millions that the Cameroonian pocketed at Russian setup Anzhi Makhachkala. Kaká, Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gianluigi Buffon and Thierry Henry complete the top ten of the world’s ‘rich kids’.
Read more: Cristiano Ronaldo, King Midas of the football world – MARCA.com (English version)