10 highest paid footballers in the world (2021)

#3 Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) - €30m

Manchester United v Paris Saint-Germain: Group H - UEFA Champions League

Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar Jr. is still the most expensive signing in the history of the game. The Brazilian joined PSG from Barcelona to escape Lionel Messi's shadow and it has most definitely worked out for him in a financial sense.

Neymar has been outstanding for the Parisiens as well and led from the front as they made it to the final of the UEFA Champions League last season. It would have been the perfect story for Neymar as it would have been exactly what he set out to do when he secured the switch from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain.

Neymar pockets €30 million in annual wages and it is no surprise that he is one of the three highest-earning footballers on the planet. Few players are as mesmerizing with the ball at their feet as Neymar is and we expect to see greater things from the 29-year-old.

#2 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) - €31m

FC Internazionale v Juventus - Coppa Italia

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus in the summer of 2018 after an extremely successful stint at Real Madrid, in a deal worth more than €100 million. He immediately became their highest paid player and for good reason.

Ronaldo has been outstanding for Juventus and has scored 96 goals for the Bianconeri in 130 matches across all competitions. Despite being 36-years-old, he continues to be one of the best footballers on the planet and one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe.

Cristiano Ronaldo gets €31 million in wages annually and that's nearly four times what Juventus' second highest-earner Matthijs De Ligt pockets.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 43% of Juventus’ Serie A goals this season. pic.twitter.com/yWolIhQWe2

— TC. (@totalcristiano) March 17, 2021

#1 Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - €76m

FC Barcelona v SD Huesca - La Liga Santander

Lionel Messi bore the brunt of an immense amount of criticism when the details of his Barcelona contract were leaked. Barcelona are in a precarious financial condition but Lionel Messi continues to earn more than twice the amount of money his arch rival Cristiano Ronaldo takes home in wages.

At 33-years-old, Lionel Messi is still unstoppable but his future is not resolved just yet. He could still leave Barcelona in the summer and if he did, only very few clubs would have the financial clout to match Messi's wage demands.

€76 million is how much European giants pay for marquee signings these days. The financial strain on Barcelona can be relieved by cutting Messi loose but whether or not that will be a good move is debatable as we know for a fact that you can't just replace the kind of quality Lionel Messi adds.

Lionel Messi has 16 goals and seven assists already in 2021.It's only March 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Q4BDmzPSAK

— Goal (@goal) March 15, 2021