Sports Messi remains world’s top paid player

Lionel Messi

Argentina and Barcelona star Lionel Messi remains the world’s highest paid footballer with an annual income

of  74m euros , according to Tuesday’s edition of France Football magazine, AFP reports.

Messi’s earnings in 2015 rose by nine million euros compared to the previous figures, keeping the five-time Ballon d’Or winner ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (67.4m euros) and Neymar (43.5m euros) as the top three stayed unchanged for the third year running.

France Football’s estimates were based on players’ pre-tax salaries, sponsorship revenues and various bonuses, it added.

Angel Di Maria was the top-earning player in France with 24m  euros following his off-season move from Manchester United, with the Argentine narrowly ahead of Paris Saint-Germain team-mates Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

However, figures in France only accounted for player wages and contract bonuses, according to the report.

Despite his sacking from Chelsea in December, Jose Mourinho was the highest earning coach on 24m  euros, with Pep Guardiola and Fabio Capello rounding out the top three.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo has issued a rallying call to Real Madrid supporters before Tuesday’s crunch Champions League clash with Wolfsburg, urging them to play their part on what could be a “magical, perfect night” at the Bernabéu.

Madrid must overturn a 2-0 deficit from last week’s first leg in Germany if they are to reach the semi-finals of the competition for a sixth successive season.

Recent history is against Madrid, with the Spanish giants having failed to recover from a first-leg away defeat on the last five occasions, but Ronaldo is confident it will be a different story this time.

“Tuesday will be a perfect night, it will be magical, with your (Real Madrid fans)  support we’re going to give our best on the pitch and we’re going to get through the tie,” Ronaldo told the club’s website.

“Playing well, with the players on the pitch, those on the bench and with the 80,000 people who I would love to see in the stadium supporting the team, because that’s going to give us a very big boost. I hope it will be a magical night, I’m really excited.”