WEALTH

In March 2010, France Football ranked Messi at the top of its list of the world’s richest footballers, ahead of David Beckhamand Cristiano Ronaldo, with €33 million ($45 million) in combined income from salaries, bonuses and off-field earnings for the previous 12 months. In May 2014, Forbes ranked Messi second behind Cristiano Ronaldo in their list of the world’s highest paid players with earnings of $65 million in the previous 12 months.