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World Cup: How Much do Top Footballers Earn?

Kaitlin Madden, CareerBuilder writer

 

With the World Cup less than a month away, CareerBuilder took a look at the Salary top players in the football world are earning from their sport. After reviewing the top 5, we have come to the realization we should have practiced a bit harder during our youth. How do the top 20 compare to your salary?


The top five

1. Coming in at No. 1 is 25-year-old Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Rinaldo, who earns 79.64 crore* (£11,300,000, €13,210,184) per year as a forward for Italian football club Real Madrid. Rinaldo -- who also captains the Portuguese national team -- is the most-expensive soccer player in history. Real Madrid bought his rights from U.K.-based Manchester United in a 2009 trade -- for a cool $132 million.

 


2. Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic comes in at number two, earning a reported 73.29 crore (£10,400,000, € 12,158,046) for the 2009-2010 season. The 29-year-old striker plays for Barcelona and the Swedish national team; and until Rinaldo's Real Madrid deal was inked in 2009, Ibrahimovic was soccer's highest-paid player.

 

3. At 22, Lionel Messi is the youngest player to make the top-20 list of highest-paid soccer stars. Messi's 2009-2010 contract is worth 64.13 crore (£9,100,000, € 10,638,290). Messi, a striker for Barcelona, will represent his home-country of Argentina at this year's World Cup.

 

4. Samuel Eto'o is the captain of Cameroon's national team and a member of Italy's Internazionale club. The striker was part of the team that won the 2000 Summer Olympics and will participate in his third World Cup tournament this year. His experience has paid off -- his current contract is worth 64.13 crore (£9,100,000, € 10,638,290).

 

5. Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, more commonly known as Kaka to fans, rounds out the top five. Kaka, 27, hails from Brazil and will make 61.31 crore (£8,700,000, € 10,170,673) as a midfielder for Real Madrid this year. Before teammate Cristiano Rinaldo's Real Madrid deal, Kaka also spent time at the top of the highest-paid players list.

 

The rest of the top 20

6. Karim Benzema

Country: France

Club Team: Real Madrid

Age: 22

Salary: 52.15 crore; £7,400,000; € 8,650,917                                        

 

7. Carlos Tevez

Country: Argentina

Club Team: Manchester City

Age: 26

Salary: 49.33 crore; £7,000,000; € 8,183,300                                                        

 

8. John Terry     

Country: England            

Club Team: Chelsea                       

Age: 29

Salary: 45.81 crore; £6,500,000; € 7,598,778

 

9. Frank Lampard

Country: England

Club Team: Chelsea

Age: 31

Salary: 45.81 crore; £6,500,000; € 7,598,778

 

10. Thierry Henry

Country: France

Club Team: Barcelona

Age: 32

Salary: 45.81 crore; £6,500,000; € 7,598,778

 

11. Xavi

Country: Spain

Club Team: Barcelona

Age: 30

Salary: $9,813,809; £6,500,000; € 7,598,778

 

12. Ronaldinho                

Country: Brazil

Club Team: AC Milan

Age: 30

Salary: $9,813,809; £6,500,000; € 7,598,778

 

13. Steven Gerrard

Country: England            

Club Team: Liverpool

Age: 29

Salary: $9,813,809; £6,500,000; € 7,598,778                                                                              

 

14. Daniel Alves

Country: Brazil

Club Team: Barcelona

Age: 26

Salary: $9,209,882; £6,100,000; € 7,131,161                                                                                           

 

15. Michael Ballack

Country: Germany

Club Team: Chelsea       

Age: 33

Salary: 39.46 crore; £5,600,000; € 6,546,640                                                           

 

16. Raul               

Country: Spain

Club Team: Real Madrid

Age: 32

Salary: 39.46 crore; £5,600,000; € 6,546,640

 

17. Rio Ferdinand

Country: England

Club Team: Manchester United

Age: 31

Salary: 39.46 crore; £5,600,000; € 6,546,640

 

18. Kolo Toure

Country: Ivory Coast

Club Team: Manchester City

Age: 29

Salary: $8,454,974; £5,600,000; € 6,546,640

 

19. Wayne Rooney

Country: England            

Club Team: Manchester United

Age: 24

Salary: $7,851,047; £5,200,000; € 6,546,640

 

20. Robinho       

Country: Brazil

Club Team: Manchester City

Age: 26

Salary: 39.46 crore; £5,200,000; € 6,546,640

                           

*Soccer player salary information provided by Portuguese marketing agency Futebol Finance



Last Updated: 24/05/2010 - 6:44 AM