Manchester United’s star forward Cristiano Ronaldo, as per reports, is set to overtake Argentine talisman Lionel Messi in terms of earnings this season. This will make the Portuguese skipper the highest-paid football player in the world. 

Ronaldo, following his transfer to Old Trafford, is forecasted to earn $125 million before taxes this season, as per Forbes. The reports added that $70 million will come from his salary and bonuses alone.

Meanwhile, Messi, who transferred as a free agent to French outfit Paris Saint Germain, is expected to earn $110 million in the 2021-22 season, making him the second-highest earner in the game. However, the former Barcelona skipper is expected to earn  $75 million in salary, which is more than Ronaldo. 

Then where does Ronaldo beat Messi’s earnings?

Cristiano Ronaldo is a  popular athlete on social media with more than 500 million followers across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. According to Forbes, the platforms bring him $55 million in endorsements against Messi’s  $35 million. The Argentine, who dons No 30 at PSG, has 267 million followers on Instagram and 104 million on Facebook. He is not on Twitter. 

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Lionel Messi’s Paris colleagues Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are third and fourth on the list, and are expected to earn $95 million and $43 million respectively. 

Neymar signed a four-year extension with PSG recently. His salary- $75 million – also tops Ronaldo’s. But endorsements add only $20 million to the Brazilian’s wealth. Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah makes up the top five, with the Egyptian expected to earn $41 million this season.

Robert Lewandowski, Andres Iniesta, Paul Pogba, Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard are the others in top 10. 

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The World’s Highest-Paid Football Players as per Forbes:

Cristiano Ronaldo — $125M

Lionel Messi — $110M

Neymar — $95M

Kylian Mbappe — $43M

Mohamed Salah — $41M

Robert Lewandowski — $35M

Andres Iniesta — $35M

Paul Pogba — $34M

Gareth Bale — $32M

Eden Hazard — $29M