Lionel Messi Holds His Status as the World's Best Paid Footballer
Lionel Messi's status as the world's best footballer is often beyond question considering his achievements for Barcelona and it got reinforced yet again in the latest report by France Football magazine in which it has been stated that he remains the best paid footballer in the planet. The Barcelona star reportedly earns a salary that amounts to a jaw dropping £59.3 million and that has kept him head and shoulders above his contemporaries who all earn equally impressive salaries at their clubs. It should be noted that Messi was ranked as the highest paid footballer in the planet the previous year as well.
The entrire yearly earnings consists of wages from the club the player plays for, product endorsements and performance related bonuses. Messi earns a wage of £256,000 per week from Barcelona and is currently negotiation a new deal at the club that will keep the Argentine at the club till 2021. Lionel Messi's yearly pay is significantly higher than that of his archi rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who takes home a salary of around £54 million. However, it should be noted that the Real Madrid striker earns a higher weekly wage of £288,000 per week. Messi's Barcelona team mate Neymar Junior was ranked at the 3rd position with a total yearly salary of around £35 million. Other players featured in the list included Angel di Maria with a salary of around £19 million and is Paris Saint Germain team mates Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva.
Messi has been embroiled in a long drawn out dispute with the Spanish tax authorities regarding his failure to pay taxes on his income earned through image rights between 2007 and 2009 and although he has paid off the taxes, he would need to appear in a court hearing later on this year. Last but not the least, the player's name has also appeared in the now famous 'Panama Papers' in connection with an off shore shell company and although the family has denied any involvement in tax avoidance, it is something that might land the player into further trouble with the authorities.
