Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi's record-breaking Barcelona career has changed football history and brought the club a glut of silverware. Financial rewards seem irrelevant when Messi is in full flow, conjuring his magic and plundering goals in all competitions, but he is nevertheless paid handsomely for his miraculous feats of trickery and skill.

                                

A $9 million increase in his salary in 2014 saw his earnings from football reach $51.8 million annually, but despite his place at the very top of world footballing talent, he still trails behind Ronaldo in the fees he commands from sponsorship and endorsements. However, if earning $22 million represents trailing behind, it's unlikely Leo is worried.

Renowned for being fiercely private and modest with his wealth, Messi's spending is not splashed across his social media accounts. But he did purchase an extensive compound for his extended family to live in, just outside Barcelona, and private jets are par for the course for football's top player.