Portuguese forward and FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldo signed a new 76 million-Pound deal with Real Madrid last year and also boasts of a lucrative Nike sponsorship deal. Barcelona striker Lionel Messi finds himself in second place with 120.5 million Pounds, his ad deals for Adidas and Turkish Airlines being one of the reasons for the wealth.
Chelsea forward Samuel Eto'o, 32, was third with a 70 million-Pound profile, most of which came when he was the highest-paid footballer while at Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala last year.
Interestingly, England player Wayne Rooney, at fourth, is the only one from his country to make the list after he signed a 300,000 Pounds-per-week deal with Manchester United. Rooney has sponsorship deals worth 1.8 million Pounds a year, which includes contracts with Samsung and Nike. His wife Coleen has a successful jewellery and clothing business.
Cristiano Ronaldo dethrones David Beckham as world's richest footballer
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