Messi, Ronaldo, Bale or Pogba: None of football’s biggest stars earn nearly as much as Ezequiel Lavezzi, according to Football Leaks
Top earning footballer reportedly rakes in £100,000 a week MORE than Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo
WHEN you think of the best-paid players in the world several names immediately spring to mind.
Real Madrid duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale instantly pop up. Both men have just signed mega new deals with the La Liga giants in the past few weeks.
The Portuguese star Ron bagged himself a pay rise at the Bernabeu and wages of £440k a week.
Even that astronomical figure is not enough to make him the planet’s best-paid footballer. In fact, the top boy rakes in a lot more.
That contract came quickly on the back of former Tottenham Hotspur star Bale’s extension, which made him the second joint-biggest wage earner at the Champions League holders along with Sergio Ramos.
Related Stories
And then you have got Lionel Messi. The king of the Nou Camp. The Argentina talisman. The man who holds dozens of records.
The tiny menace, who is believed to be negotiating a new deal with Barca, pulls in around £270k a week.
Well, according to the latest documents leaked by whistleblowers ‘Football Leaks’, it is an Argentine who tops the billing.
It claims that Ezequiel Lavezzi – an international team-mate of Messi – is paid nearly twice as much as the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
He secured that eye-watering amount for himself when he joined the mega-rich Chinese Super League.
The 31-year-old made the switch to the Far East in February when he left Paris Saint-Germain to sign for Hebei China Fortune.
It was believed that he had penned a deal worth around £400k a week.
However, his newly leaked contract details reveal that he is paid even more than that mammoth amount.
The alleged figure he banks on a weekly basis is £493k. Yes that is right - £493k every seven days!
And that sum, which is after tax, easily makes him the world’s best when it comes to pay packets.
Incredibly, that means he earns more than £220k more than Messi every single week.
The former Napoli star has not even found the net yet for his new side in the Chinese league. He played ten games for the club last season and never hit the onion bag once.
Granted, he is not an out-and-out striker in the typical No9 sense. But even sitting as a No10 or winger, for that sort of outlay, surely fans and his employers would be expecting a better return for their outlay.
Hats off though, it’s good work if you can get it.