Athletes belong to the category of the highest paid professions. In the first place here are football players - the income of the best of them is impressive. The highest paid football players in the world in 2018-2019 - which of the athletes was on this honorable list? To find out how much famous football players get, Forbes magazine decided. The income of athletes consists of the salary received at the club, various bonuses, profit from participation in advertising and earnings from sponsorship contracts. The amounts here are very serious and amount to millions of dollars.
10. Luis Suarez | 19.9 million
Uruguayan ranked 10th on the list of top-paid football players in 2018-2019 Luis Suarez. In 2018, the athlete earned $ 19.9 million. This amount includes the player’s salary, bonuses and income from advertising campaigns. Suarez is sponsored by Adidas. This year was not easy for the athlete - he was at the center of the scandal and was disqualified for several months for attacking a player of the Italian national team (Suarez bit him). The scandalous story did not affect the income of the football player. On the contrary, since 2017, it has increased by almost $ 5 million.
9. Sergio Aguero | 25.3 million
Argentine takes ninth place among the highest paid football players in the world Sergio Aguero. The 27-year-old striker of Manchester City earned 25.3 million. The footballer became the youngest player in the Argentine national team to enter the field at the age of 15. In 2011, the athlete moved to Manchester City. The club paid £ 35 million for the budding Aguero. The footballer will play for Manchester City until 2019.
8. James Rodriguez | 25.4 million
The Colombian player is almost on a par with Sergio Aguero James Rodriguez. He earned $ 25.4 million and took eighth place among the highest paid football players. Like Aguero, he made his debut on the football field at the age of 15. In 2014, Real Madrid paid about 80 million euros for the transfer of the midfielder. According to the contract with the club, Rodriguez will receive 7 million annually. The player cooperates with such global brands as Adidas, Pepsi, Hugo Boss, Huawei. In 2014, the athlete launched a line of men's underwear together with the Colombian company Bronzini.
7. Wayne Rooney | 25.8 million
In seventh position in the top 10 most highly paid football players of 2018-2019 is Wayne Rooney, captain of the renowned English club Manchester United. Since 2010, he has repeatedly been among the players with the highest salaries. In 2017, with an income of £ 45 million, he was recognized as the richest British football player. Rooney has not lost ground this year. His income amounted to 25.8 million. This includes a club salary, numerous bonuses and income from sponsorship contracts. The football player collaborates with the following well-known brands: Samsung, Harper Collins and Nike. Last year, Rooney extended the contract with the club for another 5 years.
6. Radamel Falcao | 31 million
Colombian Radamel Falcao - in sixth place among the highest paid football players. His income amounted to 31 million. About 4 million forward of Manchester United received for cooperation with Gillette. He also plans to sign a lucrative contract with the Puma brand.
This year cannot be called the most successful for Falcao. Although he was among the ten most highly paid football players in the world, due to constant microtraumas, the player’s physical form left much to be desired, and he was not able to gain a foothold in the permanent composition of the “Red Devils”. In July 2015, Falcao moved to Chelsea for one season with the possibility of subsequent redemption of the player.
5. Neymar | 31.7 million
Fifth place in the ranking of the highest paid football players - in Brazil Neymar. His income amounted to 31.7 million. At the same time, he earned most of the money not by playing for the Barcelona club, but by participating in advertising campaigns of such famous brands as Nike, Red Bull, Beats By Dre and others. The fact is that he began to receive offers to participate in advertising even before the peak of his sports career. Neymar is only 23 years old, and already before his debut on the football field, he attracted the attention of eminent European clubs.
Now he is the face of many world famous brands. Receiving huge sums for participating in advertising campaigns, Neymar spends this money on luxury cars, houses and yachts. Love for a luxurious life has led to the fact that the costs of a football player have become comparable to his income.
4. Gareth Bale | 31.9 million
Welshman Gareth Bale, a Real Madrid midfielder, is fourth in the list of the highest paid football players in the world in 2018-2019. His transfer to the Real Madrid club for 91 million euros became the second most expensive transfer in the world. In the first place - the transition to the same club for 94 million euros Ronaldo. The player’s income last year amounted to 31.9 million. Having signed a contract with the Adidas brand for an impressive amount of $ 35 million for six years, he secured a place on the list of the most expensive athletes in the world.
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 41.8 million
In third place in our ranking is the Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, striker of the Paris Saint-Germain club. His income amounted to 41.8 million Ibrahimovic and in 2018, according to Forbes magazine, ranked third among the highest paid football players in the world.
2. Lionel Messi | 70.1 million
Lionel Messi, Basrelon striker, like last year, is in second place among the highest paid players. He earned 70, 1 million. Of these, 22 million were income from participation in advertising campaigns. Last year, together with Adidas Messi launched a line of clothing and shoes.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo | 79 million
The famous striker of the Spanish club Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo reaffirmed its status as the highest paid athlete in the world. The eminent footballer earned 79 million. With an impressive salary of $ 20 million a year at the club, Ronaldo also receives good income from sponsorship contracts with global brands. In addition, he is engaged in the creation of his own clothing line, owns a nightclub and a mobile marketing startup Mobitto.