1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) - £17.3 million / 21M (Bleacher Report)
£335,000 a week £47,500 a day £1,980 an hour £34 a minute 55p a second. The most recent recipient of the Ballon d'Or and the highest paid footballer of all time, with Messi out of the picture it's perhaps unsurprising that Cristiano Ronaldo should find himself at the top of this list. Alongside his huge salary, Ronaldo receives a massive amount from endorsements putting him at 9th on the Forbes Rich List of athletes. Though there are many who deny that Ronaldo is currently the world's greatest player, it is hard to deny that he isn't worth this amount of money. Having Ronaldo at your club virtually guarantees success. Cristiano not only consistently bags a minimum of 30 goals every season but his blistering pace, athleticism, crossing ability and creative passing allow his team-mates to perform at a similarly higher level. Though he's now nearing his 30s, Ronaldo has showed no sign of slowing down. Indeed, it seems like he's performing at a higher level than ever before, already having scored 34 goals in his 32 games this season. Though there is no doubt that Ronaldo will be remembered as one of the all-time greats, a strong performance in this Summer's World Cup will certainly cement this status.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
