Soccer fans all around the world are rejoicing because the 2014 FIFA World Cup finally kicked off this week in Brazil! For roughly a month, the best soccer players on the planet will convene in freshly built stadiums to compete for what might be the biggest prize in the entire sports world. And while it's true that soccer is still not super popular here in the US, even the most extreme American sportsfan has to respect these athletes for their ability to do one thing very very very well: Earn massive amounts of money.
The richest soccer players at the 2014 World Cup would give any American athlete a literal run for their money. Last year, the second highest paid athlete in the world was Cristiano Ronaldo, who brought home $80 million. Of that $80 million, $52 million was base SALARY! By comparison, the highest base salary earned by any American athlete last year was Kobe Bryant, who earned $30.5 million from The Lakers. And as you might suspect, soccer players also have the ability to earn tens of millions of dollars in additional income from endorsements (especially if they kick ass at an event like the World Cup). But who are the absolute richest footballers at this year's World Cup? You're about to find out…
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#1. Cristiano Ronaldo Net Worth: $250 Million
World Cup country: Portugal
As we mentioned earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo is the second highest paid athlete in the world. When he's not playing in the World Cup, he's earning $52 million a year in salary from Real Madrid. He also earns roughly $30 million a year through dozens of endorsement deals. His Nike deal alone pays him $8 million a year.
#2: Lionel Messi Net Worth: $180 million
World Cup country: Argentina
Lionel Messi is the second richest soccer player at this year's World Cup. His $65 million annual income makes him the fourth highest paid athlete in the world (behind Lebron, Ronaldo and Mayweather). Of that $65 million, $45 million is base salary from Barcelona. He earns another $20 million thanks to endorsement deals with companies like Gatorade, Adidas, Samsung and Gillette.
#3: Wayne Rooney Net Worth: $125 million
World Cup country: England
Thanks to a recent contract extension with Manchester United, Wayne Rooney will earn a base salary of $26 million per year for the next four years. Rooney also earns $5-10 million a year from endorsements with companies like Nike and Samsung.
#4: Philipp Lahm – Net Worth: $100 million
World Cup country: Germany
When Philipp Lahm is not fighting for German pride in the World Cup, he is earning $14 million a year from Bayern Munich.
#5: Didier Drogba – Net Worth $90 million
World Cup country: Ivory Coast
Didier Drogba earns $15 million a year from Galatasaray Football Club in Turkey. He also makes $5-10 million per year from endorsements. Prior to playing in Turkey, Drogba was making $300,000 a week to play for a team called the Shanghai Shenua.
#6: Andres Iniesta – Net Worth: $90 million
World Cup country: Spain
Lionel Messi's teammate at Barcelona earns $13 million per year in base salary.
#7: Arjen Robben – Net Worth: $80 million
World Cup country: Netherlands
Outside of the World Cup, Robben earns $7.5 million per year from Bayern Munich.
#8: Samuel Eto'o – Net Worth: $75 million
World Cup country: Cameroon
Outside of the World Cup, Samuel Eto'o earns $7 million from a one year contract playing for Chelsea. He might be leaving the team soon. Prior to Chelsea, Eto'o earned $10 million at Inter Milan and $13 million from a Russian team. He earns roughly $4 million per year from endorsements.
#9: Yaya Toure – Net Worth: $70 million
World Cup country: Ivory Coast
Yaya Toure is one of the 100 highest paid athletes in the world (#59 to be exact). His base salary at Manchester City is $19 million. He also earns roughly $3 million per year from endorsements, most of which comes from one major deal with shoe company Puma.
#10: Radamel Falcao – Net Worth: $70 million
World Cup country: Colombia
Radamel Falcao is the 15th highest paid athlete in the world. AS Monaco pays him a base salary of $32 million. He also earns another $3 million from endorsements.
#11: Dani Alves – Net Worth: $60 million
World Cup country: Brazil
Dani Alves earns $10 million per year from Barcelona, where he plays alongside Lionel Messi.
#12: Sami Khedira – Net Worth: $60 million
World Cup country: Germany
Sami Khedira earns a base salary of $10 million every year from Real Madrid.
#13: Frank Lampard – Net Worth: $60 million
World Cup country: England
Recently earned $8 million from Chelsea but is currently without a club team. There is reportedly interest in bringing him to the LA Galaxy.
#14: Eden Hazard – Net Worth: $45 million
World Cup country: Belgium
Eden Hazard earns $15 million in base salary from Chelsea plus $5 million from endorsements. Oh, and he's only 23 years old.
Other:
Fernando Torres – Net Worth: $60 million (Spain/Chelsea)
Steven Gerrard – Net Worth: $60 million (England/Liverpool)
Sergio Ramos – Net Worth: $60 million (Spain/Real Madrid)
Neymar – Net Worth $50 million (Brazil/Barcelona)
It should be noted that Swedish player Zlatan Ibrahimovic would have been number two on this list with a net worth of $160 million, but unfortunately Sweden did not qualify for the World Cup. Also Brazilian superstar Kaka is worth $60 million but he did not qualify for this year's squad. Same goes for Rio Ferdinand (NW $75 million) who did not make the English team.
