The 10 Highest Paid Soccer Players In The World

Annual salaries for the world's top soccer stars can rival those in other sports. However, it is off the field where the true earning power of the elite players comes into play. The greatest example of that is David Beckham. Beckham is well-past his prime as a soccer player but his popularity, style, and good looks have him sitting atop the list of the world's highest-paid soccer players.
It is worth noting that Samuel Eto'o, who plays in Russia, is not listed. It is believed by many that he has the highest salary for any soccer player. However, it is unclear if his reported $26.2 million salary has ever been verified.

#10 Didier Drogba — $17.8 million

Club: Galatasaray
Country: Turkey
Salary: $15.7 million
Other Income: Drogba's biggest endorsement deals include Nike and Pepsi.

#9 Ricardo Kaka — $19.3 million

Club: Real Madrid
Country: Spain
Salary: $14.3 million
Other Income: $5.0 million. Kaka's biggest endorsement deals include Adidas and Pepsi.

#8 Neymar — $19.5 million

Club: Santos
Country: Brazil
Salary: $10.4 million
Other Income: $9.1 million. Neymar's biggest endorsement deals include Nike, Red Bull, Panasonic, and Volkswagen.

#6 (tied) Fernando Torres — $20.2 million

Fernando Torres

Club: Chelsea
Country: England
Salary: $16.6 million
Other Income: $3.6 million. Torres' biggest endorsement deals include Nike and Pepsi.

#6(tied) Yaya Toure — $20.2 million

Club: Manchester City
Country: England
Salary: $16.6 million
Other Income: $3.6 million. Toure's biggest endorsement deal is with Puma.

#5 Wayne Rooney — $20.3 million

Club: Manchester United
Country: England
Salary: $17.8 million
Other Income: $2.5 million. Rooney's biggest endorsement deals include Nike and Harper Collins.

#4 Sergio Aguero — $20.8 million

Club: Manchester City
Country: England
Salary: $16.6 million
Other Income: $4.2 million. Aguero's biggest endorsement deals include Puma and Pepsi.

#3 Lionel Messi — $40.3 million

Club: Barcelona
Country: Spain
Salary: $21.2 million
Other Income: $19.1 million. Messi's biggest endorsement deals include Adidas, Pepsi, EA Sports, Dolce & Gabana, and Turkish Airlines.

#2 Cristiano Ronaldo — $43.5 million

Club: Real Madrid
Country: Spain
Salary: $21.9 million
Other Income: $21.6 million. Ronaldo's biggest endorsement deals include Nike and Castrol.

#1 David Beckham — $50.6 million

Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Country: France
Salary: $6.5 million
Other Income: $44.1 million. Beckham's biggest endorsement deals include Adidas, Breitling, and H&M.

Source: BusinessInsider