This year's list of the highest paid soccer players has one notable omission. David Beckham does not appear on the list for the first time in… forever. As you probably know, the British soccer legend retired in May 2013, making him ineligible for this year's list. But don't fret for Becks; he is No. 3 on the list of the highest paid retired athletes. With Beckham's long shadow gone at last, it is Cristiano Ronaldo's time to assume the throne of highest paid soccer player in the world as well as one of the highest paid athletes in the world. With a combined $73 million in salary, bonuses, and endorsement income, Ronaldo will surely land in the top three when this year's list is released.
Highest Paid Soccer Players /GERARD JULIEN/AFP/Getty Images
Ronaldo made $49 million in salary and bonus alone, making him the highest paid player on the pitch even before his endorsement deals. This is something Beckham never accomplished. The Portuguese player also scored more than one goal in each game. The winger had 62 goals in 52 games for both club and country. Ronaldo is the quickest Real Madrid player to score 200 goals. For his efforts he was given a 5-year contract and raise worth $206 million. It's a huge salary, but this is Real Madrid – the most valuable soccer team in the world—they can afford it. Real Madrid had $675 million in revenue and $175 million in profit last year.
Countries with higher tax rates like France and Spain result in higher salary demands from top players to offset the taxes. Sometimes, in order to keep players like Ronaldo and Lionel Messi happy, teams will pick up their tax bill, so that their net pay is closer to what they'd make in a country with lower taxes and/or in a top-flight league like the Premier League. Let's take a look at the 20 Highest Paid Soccer Players for 2014:
Team: Real Madrid
Earnings: $73 million
Salary: $49 million
Endorsements: $24 million
Major Sponsors: Nike, Samsung, Tag Heuer, Fly Emirates, Herbalife
#2 Lionel Messi
Team: Barcelona
Earnings: $65 million
Salary: $42 million
Endorsements: $23 million
Major Sponsors: Adidas, Samsung, Pepsi, Turkish Airlines, Herbalife
Team: Paris Saint-Germain
Earnings: $34 million
Salary: $30 million
Endorsements: $4 million
Major Sponsors: Nike, Volvo
#4 Neymar
Team: Barcelona
Earnings: $28 million
Salary: $12 million
Endorsements: $16 million
Major Sponsors: Nike, Castrol, Panasonic, L'Oreal, Volkswagen
Team: AS Monaco
Earnings: $26 million
Salary: $23 million
Endorsements: $3 million
Major Sponsors: Puma, Samsung, Gillette
#6 Gareth Bale
Team: Real Madrid
Earnings: $24 million
Salary: $15 million
Endorsements: $9 million
Major Sponsors: Adidas, EA Sports, Lucozade
#7 Wayne Rooney
Team: Manchester United
Earnings: $22 million
Salary: $18 million
Endorsements: $4 million
Major Sponsors: Nike, Samsung, Harper Collins
Team: Manchester City
Earnings: $21 million
Salary: $17 million
Endorsements: $4 million
Major Sponsors: Puma, Pepsi, Gillette
#9 Yaya Toure
Team: Manchester City
Earnings: $21 million
Salary: $18 million
Endorsements: $3 million
Major Sponsor: Puma
#10 Fernando Torres
Team: Chelsea
Earnings: $20 million
Salary: $17 million
Endorsements: $3 million
Major Sponsors: Adidas, Pepsi
#11 Robin Van Persie
Team: Manchester United
Earnings: $19 million
Salary: $16 million
Endorsements: $3 million
Major Sponsors: Adidas, Pepsi
#12 Franck Ribery
Team: Bayern Munich
Earnings: $18 million
Salary: $17 million
Endorsements: $1 million
Major Sponsor: Nike
#13 Steven Gerrard
Team: Liverpool
Earnings: $17 million
Salary: $13 million
Endorsements: $4 million
Major Sponsors: Adidas, Lucozade, Mars
#14 David Silva
Team: Manchester City
Earnings: $16 million
Salary: $15 million
Endorsements: $1 million
Major Sponsor: Adidas
#15 Frank Lampard
Team: Chelsea
Earnings: $16 million
Salary: $12 million
Endorsements: $4 million
Major Sponsors: Adidas, Pepsi
Team: Bayern Munich
Earnings: $16 million
Salary: $13 million
Endorsements: $3 million
Major Sponsor: Adidas
#17 Mesut Ozil
Team: Arsenal
Earnings: $16 million
Salary: $10 million
Endorsements: $6 million
Major Sponsors: Adidas, Kinder Eggs
#18 Philipp Lahm
Team: Bayern Munich
Earnings: $15 million
Salary: $13 million
Endorsements: $2 million
Major Sponsors: Adidas, Serviceplan
#19 Kaka
Team: AC Milan
Earnings: $15 million
Salary: $10 million
Endorsements: $5 million
Major Sponsors: Adidas, Hyundai, WiseUp
#20 Luis Suarez
Team: Liverpool
Earnings: $15 million
Salary: $11 million
Endorsements: $4 million
Major Sponsors: Adidas, Pepsi, Abitab
