#1 Lionel Messi
Sorry, Cristiano Ronaldo, but it's Lionel Messi who has topped this list. The Barcelona star signed a contract extension at the end of the last year, which will keep him at the Nou Camp through 2020-21.
The 30-year-old receives an aggregate of $111m as a result of $84m from salary and $27m from endorsements.
The Argentine finished the 2017-18 season as the top scoring player in the top 5 European leagues with 45 goals in all competitions. He has a lifelong deal with Adidas and a number of other deals including Gatorade, Pepsi, Ooredoo, Huawei and Hawkers.
Edited by Jay M